Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Charnockite is a variety of granite containing minerals like orthopyroxene, quartz, and feldspar
Origin
Indonesia
Tamil Nadu, India
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
T. H. Holland
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
From Job Charnock, an administtrator of East India Company
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Rough, Sandy
Granular
Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Enderbite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
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.
Charnockite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard and is formed due to weathering of existing rocks.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Coarse Grained
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.0
-9999
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
India
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
East Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Albania, Romania, Scotland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Gossan vs Charnockite 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 Charnockite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gossan and Properties of Charnockite. Learn more about Gossan vs Charnockite in the next section. The interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Charnockite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Gossan and Charnockite, 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 Charnockite include As dimension stone.
More about Gossan and Charnockite
Here you can know more about Gossan and Charnockite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Charnockite 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 Charnockite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Charnockite, 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, Charnockite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Charnockite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Charnockite. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Charnockite is 6-7. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan whereas types of Charnockite are Enderbite. 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 Charnockite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K and that of Charnockite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. 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 Charnockite is heat resistant, wear resistant.