Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Nepheline Syenite is a holocrystalline plutonic rock resembling syenite but containing nepheline and lacking quartz
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
Unknown
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
From origin of a Palaeozoic nepheline syenite from northern Shanxi Province, China
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Rough, Sandy
Granular
Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, 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, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Borolanite and Litchfieldite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Figurines
Not Yet Used
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.
Nepheline Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
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
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal to Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Metallic
Greasy to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Poor
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Andorra, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia
Gossan vs Nepheline Syenite 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 Nepheline Syenite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gossan and Properties of Nepheline Syenite. Learn more about Gossan vs Nepheline Syenite in the next section. The interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Nepheline Syenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gossan and Nepheline Syenite, 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 Nepheline Syenite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Production of glass and ceramics.
More about Gossan and Nepheline Syenite
Here you can know more about Gossan and Nepheline Syenite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Nepheline Syenite 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 Nepheline Syenite includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Nepheline Syenite, 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, Nepheline Syenite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Nepheline Syenite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Nepheline Syenite. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Nepheline Syenite is 5.5-6. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan whereas types of Nepheline Syenite are Borolanite and Litchfieldite. 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 Nepheline Syenite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K and that of Nepheline Syenite 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 Nepheline Syenite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.