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
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
From Latin basanites + -ite
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Whetstones
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Biotite hornfels
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Features
Smooth to touch
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone
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.
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Mineral Content
Andalusite
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Shiny
Waxy and Dull
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
2.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
-
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Uganda
Europe
United Kingdom
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Hornfels vs Basanite 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 Basanite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Basanite . Learn more about Hornfels vs Basanite in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basanite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Basanite , they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Basanite include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Hornfels and Basanite
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Basanite . The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Basanite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Basanite includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Basanite , 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, Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Basanite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Basanite . The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Basanite is 7. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Basanite are Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite. 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 Basanite is white. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Basanite is 0.74 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 Basanite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.