Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt
History
Origin
Indonesia
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Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
Unknown
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
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Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Rough, Sandy
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Dull and Soft
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
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Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
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-
Famous Monuments
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-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
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Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
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Fossils
Absent
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.
Epidosite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Composition
Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
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
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
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Physical Properties
Hardness
4-56
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Metallic
-
Compressive Strength
-160.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
2.3
Specific Gravity
2.02.8-3
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
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, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
India, Russia
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
South Africa
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
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Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
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