Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Rapakivi Granite is a hornblende-biotite Granite containing large rounded crystals of orthoclase which are mantled with oligoclase
Origin
Indonesia
Finland, Europe
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
Jakob Sederholm
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
From Finnish Rapakivi which stands for crumbly rock
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, Phaneritic
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, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings, Paving Stone, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
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
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite and Hybrid Granite
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.
Granite is an igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental 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, 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, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Metallic
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.0
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
2.6-2.8 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
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, 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
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
-
Gossan vs Rapakivi Granite 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 Rapakivi Granite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gossan and Properties of Rapakivi Granite. Learn more about Gossan vs Rapakivi Granite in the next section. The interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Rapakivi Granite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Gossan and Rapakivi Granite, 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 Rapakivi Granite include As dimension stone.
More about Gossan and Rapakivi Granite
Here you can know more about Gossan and Rapakivi Granite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Rapakivi Granite 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 Rapakivi Granite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Rapakivi Granite, 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, Rapakivi Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Rapakivi Granite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Rapakivi Granite. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Rapakivi Granite is 6-7. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan whereas types of Rapakivi Granite are Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite and Hybrid Granite. 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 Rapakivi Granite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K and that of Rapakivi Granite is 0.79 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 Rapakivi Granite is heat resistant, wear resistant.