Definition
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock
Appinite is an igneous rock in which the crystals are so fine grained that individual minerals cannot be easily distinguished
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
From the variety of Lamprophyre Greek lampros bright and shining + porphureos purple
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Porphyritic
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Whetstones
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Types
Biotite hornfels
Igneous rock
Features
Smooth to touch
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
The formation of Appinite takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Mineral Content
Andalusite
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Perfect
Conchoidal
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Russia
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Others
-
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
All about Hornfels and Appinite Properties
Know all about Hornfels and Appinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Appinite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Hornfels is Granular, Platy whereas that of Appinite is Porphyritic. Hornfels appears Dull and Appinite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Hornfels is shiny while that of Appinite is subvitreous to dull. Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors whereas Appinite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Hornfels are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Appinite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner.