Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
  
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
  
History
  
  
Origin
Indonesia
  
Iceland
  
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
  
Ian S. E. Carmichael
  
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
  
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
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, Grey, Pink, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
More
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull and Banded
  
Dull and Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
  
Not Available
  
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
  
Generally rough to touch, High silica 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
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
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.
  
Icelandite 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
  
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
  
Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
  
Biological Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
4-5
  
7
  
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
  
Very fine-grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Uneven
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Metallic
  
Vitreous
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
1.1
  
Specific Gravity
2.0
  
2.5-2.8
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
Not Available
  
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.24 kJ/Kg K
  
24
2.39 kJ/Kg K
  
2
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
  
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
  
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
  
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Mexico, USA
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
  
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
  
Gossan vs Icelandite 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 Icelandite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gossan and Properties of Icelandite. Learn more about Gossan vs Icelandite in the next section. The interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Gossan and Icelandite, 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 Icelandite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Gossan and Icelandite
Here you can know more about Gossan and Icelandite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Icelandite 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 Icelandite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Icelandite, 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, Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Icelandite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Icelandite. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Icelandite is 7. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan whereas types of Icelandite 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 Icelandite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K and that of Icelandite is 2.39 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 Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.