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
Adakite is an intermediate to felsic volcanic rock that has geochemical characteristics of magma which is said to be formed by partial melting of altered basalt that is subducted below volcanic arcs
Origin
New Zealand
Adak, Aleutian Islands
Discoverer
Unknown
Defant and Drummond
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
From Adak, Aleutian Islands
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Porphyritic
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Whetstones
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Commemorative Tablets, Pottery, Used in aquariums
Types
Biotite hornfels
Intermediate volcanic rock
Features
Smooth to touch
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Host rock for Diamond, Very fine grained rock
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.
Adakite rocks are formed when the hydrous fluids are released from minerals that break down in metamorphosed basalt, and rise into the mantle they initiate partial melting.
Mineral Content
Andalusite
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Aluminium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact 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
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
-9999
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
India, Russia
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Ethiopia, Somalia, South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Iceland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
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Hornfels vs Adakite 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. Hornfels vs Adakite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Adakite. Learn more about Hornfels vs Adakite in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Adakite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Adakite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Adakite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Hornfels and Adakite
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Adakite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Adakite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Adakite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Adakite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors whereas, Adakite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Adakite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Adakite. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Adakite is 3-4. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Adakite are Intermediate volcanic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Hornfels is while that of Adakite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Adakite 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.Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Adakite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.