Definition
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat
History
Origin
-
France
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Foliated, Platy
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Foliated
Veined or Pebbled
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
-
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
-
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
-
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Electricity Generation
Types
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.
Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
Formation
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.
Coal formation takes place due to accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. The Coal formation process continues, as peat turns into lignite brown or black coal at increasing heat and pressure.
Composition
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon
-
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
71
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Black
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Compressive Strength
125.00 N/mm2-
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1.2
-
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.71.1-1.4
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-2.9 g/cm3800-801 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.70 kJ/Kg K1.26 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria