Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Jasperoid is a rare, peculiar type of metasomatic alteration of rocks
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
Unknown
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
From silica, the main mineral content of Jasperoid
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Rough, Sandy
Earthy
Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
-
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.
Jasperoid is a rare and peculiar type of metasomatic alteration of rocks. It is formed by extreme alteration of wall rocks within a shear zone which may occur in sediments, andesites, trachytes and basalts.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Metallic
Vitreous and Pearly
Specific Gravity
2.0
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
-9999 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
China, India
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
All about Gossan and Jasperoid Properties
Know all about Gossan and Jasperoid properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Gossan belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Jasperoid belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Gossan is Rough, Sandy whereas that of Jasperoid is Earthy. Gossan appears Dull and Banded and Jasperoid appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Gossan is metallic while that of Jasperoid is vitreous and pearly. Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors whereas Jasperoid is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone and that of Jasperoid are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).