Home
Compare Rocks


Hornfels and Granite


Granite and Hornfels


Definition

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   
Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone   

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From German which means hornstone   
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Granular, Platy   
Granular, Phaneritic   

Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown   
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull   
Veined or Pebbled   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments   
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Biotite hornfels   
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite   

Features
Smooth to touch   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Domed Church in Santorini, Greece, Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, UK, Ephesus in Turkey, Georgia Guidestones in Georgia, US, Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Khajuraho Temples, India, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Signers Monument in Augusta, Georgia, Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower Bridge in London, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, US, Washington Monument, US   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Avukana Buddha Statue in Sri Lanka, Lincoln Memorial in America, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, The Colossal Red Granite Statue of Amenhotep III in Karnak, Egypt   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

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.   
Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Andalusite   
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   

Compound Content
Fe, Mg   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3   
6-7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Large and Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Not Available   

Streak
Unknown   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Shiny   
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
5.80 N/mm2   
31
175.00 N/mm2   
13

Cleavage
Perfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Yet Found   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3   
2.65-2.75 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
0.79 kJ/Kg K   
16

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand   
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa   
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
United Kingdom   
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Hornfels and Granite Properties

Know all about Hornfels and Granite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Granite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Hornfels is Granular, Platy whereas that of Granite is Granular, Phaneritic. Hornfels appears Dull and Granite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Hornfels is shiny while that of Granite is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous. Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors whereas Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Hornfels are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Granite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones, used in aquariums.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

» More Metamorphic Rocks

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

» More Compare Metamorphic Rocks