Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
  
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock
  
History
  
  
Origin
Indonesia
  
New Zealand
  
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
  
From German which means hornstone
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Rough, Sandy
  
Granular, Platy
  
Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
  
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull and Banded
  
Dull
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, 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
  
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
  
Biotite hornfels
  
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
  
Smooth to touch
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
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.
  
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels 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
  
Andalusite
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
  
Fe, Mg
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
  
Biological Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
4-5
  
2-3
  
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
Unknown
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Metallic
  
Shiny
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Perfect
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
Not Yet Found
  
Specific Gravity
2.0
  
3.4-3.9
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
Not Available
  
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.24 kJ/Kg K
  
24
0.84 kJ/Kg K
  
15
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
  
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
  
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
  
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
  
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
  
United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
  
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
  
Gossan vs Hornfels 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 Hornfels characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gossan and Properties of Hornfels. Learn more about Gossan vs Hornfels in the next section. The interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gossan and Hornfels, 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 Hornfels include For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Gossan and Hornfels
Here you can know more about Gossan and Hornfels. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Hornfels 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 Hornfels includes Andalusite. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Hornfels, 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, Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Hornfels is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Hornfels. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Hornfels is 2-3. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan whereas types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels. 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 Hornfels is unknown. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K and that of Hornfels 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 Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.