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
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt
Origin
New Zealand
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
Not Available
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained 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
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
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
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
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.
Epidosite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
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
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Unknown
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Not Available
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Toughness
Not Yet Found
2.3
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
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
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
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
Not Yet Found
Hornfels vs Epidosite 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 Epidosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Epidosite. Learn more about Hornfels vs Epidosite in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Epidosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Epidosite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Epidosite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Hornfels and Epidosite
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Epidosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Epidosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Hornfels vs Epidosite, 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, Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Epidosite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Epidosite. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Epidosite is 6. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Epidosite 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 unknown while that of Epidosite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Epidosite is Not Available. 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 Epidosite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.