Definition
Hornblendite is a type of igneous plutonic rock consisting mainly of amphibole hornblende and is a type of Amphibolite rock
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German, Horn horn + blende
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Quench
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Foliated
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, 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, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
Types
Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite
Cataclastic rock
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Hornblendite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Calcite, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Wollastonite
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.5
2.46-2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, Turkey
South Korea
Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Western Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
Great Britain, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
All about Hornblendite and Pseudotachylite Properties
Know all about Hornblendite and Pseudotachylite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Hornblendite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Hornblendite is Banded, Foliated, Massive whereas that of Pseudotachylite is Quench. Hornblendite appears Foliated and Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Hornblendite is vitreous to dull while that of Pseudotachylite is vitreous. Hornblendite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Hornblendite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone.