Gossan

Icelandite

Gossan and Icelandite

Gossan

Icelandite

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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.

Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock

History

Origin

Indonesia

Iceland

Discoverer

Cornish Gossen

Ian S. E. Carmichael

Etymology

From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Rough, Sandy

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Banded

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

Office Buildings, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan

Intermediate volcanic rock

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates

Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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

Icelandite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon

Compound Content

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

Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

4-57

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Metallic

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

-200.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.1

Specific Gravity

2.02.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.11-2.36 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.24 kJ/Kg K2.39 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea

Africa

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

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Gossan and Icelandite Properties

Know all about Gossan and Icelandite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Gossan belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Icelandite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Gossan is Rough, Sandy whereas that of Icelandite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Gossan appears Dull and Banded and Icelandite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Gossan is metallic while that of Icelandite is vitreous. Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors whereas Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone and that of Icelandite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.