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Gabbro vs Hornfels


Hornfels vs Gabbro


Definition

Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt   
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock   

History
  
  

Origin
Germany   
New Zealand   

Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald   
From German which means hornstone   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Phaneritic   
Granular, Platy   

Color
Dark Grey to Black   
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Veined and Shiny   
Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Biotite hornfels   

Features
Smooth to touch   
Smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.   
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Andalusite   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   
Fe, Mg   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
2-3   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Black   
Unknown   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Shiny   

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2   
7
5.80 N/mm2   
31

Cleavage
Not Available   
Perfect   

Toughness
1.6   
Not Yet Found   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
3.4-3.9   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3   
0.25-0.30 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand   

Africa
South Africa   
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa   

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   
United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   

Definition >>
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Gabbro vs Hornfels Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Gabbro and Hornfels Reserves. Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt. Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Gabbro vs Hornfels information and Gabbro vs Hornfels characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Gabbro vs Hornfels Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Gabbro vs Hornfels characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Hornfels. Learn more about Gabbro vs Hornfels in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Hornfels, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gabbro in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Hornfels include For road aggregate, Roadstone.

More about Gabbro and Hornfels

Here you can know more about Gabbro and Hornfels. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Hornfels consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Hornfels, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Hornfels is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Hornfels. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Hornfels is 2-3. The types of Gabbro are Not Available whereas types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gabbro is black while that of Hornfels is unknown. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is Not Available and that of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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