Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
History
Origin
Indonesia
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Rough, Sandy
Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
65% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
42% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
19% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
15% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
50% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks
Types of Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
65% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks
Types of Weathering
-
Erosion
✔
✘
77% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
4-5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Luster
Metallic
Compressive Strength
-
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
-
Specific Gravity
2.0
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.24 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 31 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia