Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Siltstone can be defined as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which mainly consists of consolidated silt
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
Unknown
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
From English word silt and stone and from Proto-Indo-European root sal and stainaz
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Rough, Sandy
Clastic
Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Brown, Red, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Rough
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
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Soil Conditioner
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, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Very fine grained 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
Formation
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.
Siltstone is a type of sedimentary rock which is formed from fine rock particles. As the particles of eroded rock travel along with water, the edges of the rock are worn-out by water into a rounded shape.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.0
2.54-2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.6-2.7 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Gossan vs Siltstone 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 Siltstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gossan and Properties of Siltstone. Learn more about Gossan vs Siltstone in the next section. The interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Siltstone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gossan and Siltstone, 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 Siltstone include Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Gossan and Siltstone
Here you can know more about Gossan and Siltstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Siltstone 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 Siltstone includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Siltstone, 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, Siltstone is available in brown, red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Siltstone is Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Siltstone. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Siltstone is 6-7. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan whereas types of Siltstone 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 Siltstone is white. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K and that of Siltstone 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 Siltstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.