Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
Unknown
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
From late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Rough, Sandy
Vesicular
Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Glassy and Vesicular
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Not Available
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Surfaces are often shiny
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.
Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Ca, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Metallic
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.0
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Gossan vs Scoria 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 Scoria characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gossan and Properties of Scoria. Learn more about Gossan vs Scoria in the next section. The interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Scoria include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gossan and Scoria, 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 Scoria include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works.
More about Gossan and Scoria
Here you can know more about Gossan and Scoria. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Scoria 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 Scoria includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Scoria, 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, Scoria is available in black, brown, dark grey to black, red colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Scoria is Glassy and Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Scoria. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Scoria is 5-6. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan whereas types of Scoria 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 Scoria is white. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K and that of Scoria 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 Scoria is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.