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
  
Chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone consisting mainly of fossil shells of foraminifers
  
History
  
  
Origin
New Zealand
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
  
From old English cealc chalk, lime, plaster; pebble, from Greek khalix small pebble, in English transferred to the opaque, white, soft limestone
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Granular, Platy
  
Clastic or Non-Clastic
  
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
  
Grey, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull
  
Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Powder
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Alumina Refineries, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Paper Industry, Production of Lime, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Whiting, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
  
Types
Biotite hornfels
  
Not Available
  
Features
Smooth to touch
  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Present
  
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.
  
Chalk is formed from lime mud, which accumulates on the sea floor which is then transformed into rock by geological processes.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Andalusite
  
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
  
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
  
Ca, NaCl, CaO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
2-3
  
1
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Very fine-grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Not Available
  
Streak
Unknown
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Shiny
  
Dull
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Perfect
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
Not Yet Found
  
1
  
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
  
2.3-2.4
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
  
2.49-2.50 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
  
15
0.90 kJ/Kg K
  
12
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
  
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
  
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
  
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  
Europe
United Kingdom
  
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
  
Colombia
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
  
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
  
Hornfels vs Chalk 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 Chalk characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Chalk. Learn more about Hornfels vs Chalk in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Chalk include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Chalk, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Chalk include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium.
More about Hornfels and Chalk
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Chalk. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Chalk consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Chalk includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Chalk, 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, Chalk is available in grey, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Chalk is Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Chalk. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Chalk is 1. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Chalk are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Hornfels is unknown while that of Chalk is white. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Chalk is 0.90 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 Chalk is heat resistant.