Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Trachyte is a grey fine-grained volcanic rock which mainly consists of alkali feldspar
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
Alexandre Brongniart and René Just Haüy
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
From Greek trakhus rough’ or trakhutēs roughness
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
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
Black, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Banded
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
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, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Felsic volcanic rock
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
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.
Trachyte is an igneous volcanic rock with an aphanitic to porphyritic texture. It is the volcanic equivalent of syenite rock and forms as a result of magmatic differentiation.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
2.43-2.45 g/cm3
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
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
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil, Chile
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Gossan vs Trachyte 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 Trachyte characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gossan and Properties of Trachyte. Learn more about Gossan vs Trachyte in the next section. The interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Trachyte include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gossan and Trachyte, 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 Trachyte include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Gossan and Trachyte
Here you can know more about Gossan and Trachyte. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Trachyte 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 Trachyte includes Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Trachyte, 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, Trachyte is available in black, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Trachyte is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Trachyte. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Trachyte is 6. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan whereas types of Trachyte are Felsic volcanic rock. 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 Trachyte is white. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K and that of Trachyte is 0.84 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 Trachyte is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.