Definition
Hornblendite is a type of igneous plutonic rock consisting mainly of amphibole hornblende and is a type of Amphibolite rock
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin
Discoverer
Unknown
Tornebohm
Etymology
From German, Horn horn + blende
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
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
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
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, Paving Stone
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 a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Gold and Silver production, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite
Endoskarns
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits
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. Skarn 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
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
White to Grey
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Waxy and Dull
Specific Gravity
2.5
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, Turkey
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Hornblendite vs Skarn 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. Hornblendite vs Skarn characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornblendite and Properties of Skarn. Learn more about Hornblendite vs Skarn in the next section. The interior uses of Hornblendite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Skarn include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornblendite and Skarn, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornblendite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone and that of Skarn include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Gold and silver production, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Hornblendite and Skarn
Here you can know more about Hornblendite and Skarn. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornblendite and Skarn consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornblendite includes Amphibole, Calcite, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Wollastonite and mineral content of Skarn includes Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Hornblendite vs Skarn, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Hornblendite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas, Skarn is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Hornblendite is Foliated and that of Skarn is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornblendite vs Skarn. The hardness of Hornblendite is 6-7 and that of Skarn is 6.5. The types of Hornblendite are Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite whereas types of Skarn are Endoskarns. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Hornblendite is white to grey while that of Skarn is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Hornblendite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Skarn is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Hornblendite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Skarn is heat resistant.