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
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
History
Origin
New Zealand
USA
Discoverer
Unknown
Edgar Bailey
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Foliated
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull
Dull and Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Industry
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Types
Biotite hornfels
Metamorphic rock
Features
Smooth to touch
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
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.
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
Composition
Mineral Content
Andalusite
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, 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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
2-33.5-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
-
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Shiny
Dull
Compressive Strength
5.80 N/mm2220.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Slaty
Toughness
-
1.5
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.93-3.2
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Japan, Turkey
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
France, Greece, Iceland
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New Zealand