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
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth
Discoverer
Unknown
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
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, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
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
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Types
Biotite hornfels
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Smooth to touch
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
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Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
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.
Basalt forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.
Mineral Content
Andalusite
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
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Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
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Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 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
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 Basalt 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 Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Hornfels vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Hornfels and Basalt
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Basalt, 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, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Basalt. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. 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 Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt 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 Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.