Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Boninite is a mafic extrusive rock which is high in magnesium and silica content, formed in fore-arc environments, typically during the early stages of subduction
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
Unknown
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
From its occurrence in the Izu-Bonin arc south of Japan
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
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, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
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
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Not Available
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, High Mg content, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.
Boninite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or existing rocks.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
1.1
Specific Gravity
2.0
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
Not Available
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
South Africa
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
England, Finland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Colombia, Uruguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Gossan vs Boninite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Gossan vs Boninite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gossan and Properties of Boninite. Learn more about Gossan vs Boninite in the next section. The interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Boninite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Gossan and Boninite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gossan in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Boninite include 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.
More about Gossan and Boninite
Here you can know more about Gossan and Boninite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Boninite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gossan includes Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon and mineral content of Boninite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Boninite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors whereas, Boninite is available in bluish - grey, brown, colourless, green, grey colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Boninite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Boninite. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Boninite is 7. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan whereas types of Boninite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gossan is white to grey while that of Boninite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K and that of Boninite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Boninite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.