Gossan

Serpentinite

Gossan and Serpentinite

Gossan

Serpentinite

Add ⊕

Definition

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

A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.

History

Origin

Indonesia

USA

Discoverer

Cornish Gossen

Unknown

Etymology

From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

From English word serpentinization.

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Rough, Sandy

Earthy

Color

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, 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, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan

Jadeitite

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates

Host Rock for Lead

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides

Compound Content

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

Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

4-53-5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White to Grey

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Metallic

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

-310.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.02.79-3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.5-3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.24 kJ/Kg K0.95 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea

Africa

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

Ethiopia, Western Africa

Europe

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Gossan and Serpentinite Properties

Know all about Gossan and Serpentinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Gossan and Serpentinite belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Gossan is Rough, Sandy whereas that of Serpentinite is Earthy. Gossan appears Dull and Banded and Serpentinite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Gossan is metallic while that of Serpentinite is waxy and dull. Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors whereas Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone and that of Serpentinite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork.