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
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
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
Durability
Durable
Durable
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
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
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
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
Chalk Marl and Marl
Features
Smooth to touch
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, 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.
Chalk is formed from lime mud, which accumulates on the sea floor which is then transformed into rock by geological processes.
Mineral Content
Andalusite
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Ca, NaCl, CaO
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
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
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
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, 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 Chalk Marl and Marl. 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 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.