Gossan

Argillite

Gossan and Argillite

Gossan

Argillite

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Definition

Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.

Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate

History

Origin

Indonesia

Discoverer

Cornish Gossen

Unknown

Etymology

From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Rough, Sandy

Clastic, Polished

Color

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Banded

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Types

Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan

Metamorphic rock

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates

Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.

An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.

Composition

Mineral Content

Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur

Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

4-52-3

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Metallic

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.02.56-2.68

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.54-2.66 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.24 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

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

All about Gossan and Argillite Properties

Know all about Gossan and Argillite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Gossan belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Argillite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Gossan is Rough, Sandy whereas that of Argillite is Clastic, Polished. Gossan appears Dull and Banded and Argillite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Gossan is metallic while that of Argillite is waxy and dull. Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors whereas Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone and that of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends.