Gossan

Scoria

Gossan and Scoria

Gossan

Scoria

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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.

Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities

History

Origin

Indonesia

Discoverer

Cornish Gossen

Unknown

Etymology

From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

From late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Rough, Sandy

Vesicular

Color

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Banded

Glassy and Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills

Types

Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan

Basaltic Scoria and Andesitic Scoria

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Surfaces are often shiny

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.

Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

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

Ca, NaCl

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

4-55-6

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Metallic

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

-70.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.0-9999

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.24 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

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

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

Europe

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Gossan and Scoria Properties

Know all about Gossan and Scoria properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Gossan belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Scoria belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Gossan is Rough, Sandy whereas that of Scoria is Vesicular. Gossan appears Dull and Banded and Scoria appears Glassy and Vesicular. The luster of Gossan is metallic while that of Scoria is subvitreous to dull. Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors whereas Scoria is available in black, brown, dark grey to black, red colors. The commercial uses of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone and that of Scoria are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, creating artwork, high-temperature insulation, in gas barbecue grills.