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Hornfels
Hornfels

Gneiss
Gneiss



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Hornfels vs Gneiss

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Definition

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
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks

History

Origin

New Zealand
-

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From German which means hornstone
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)

Class

Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Granular, Platy
Banded, Foliated, Platy

Color

Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Dull
Foliated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Types

Types

Biotite hornfels
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.

Features

Smooth to touch
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

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.
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.

Composition

Mineral Content

Andalusite
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon

Compound Content

Fe, Mg
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

2-37
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Irregular

Streak

-
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Very Less Porous

Luster

Shiny
Dull

Compressive Strength

5.80 N/mm2125.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect
-

Toughness

-
1.2

Specific Gravity

3.4-3.92.5-2.7
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent to Opaque

Density

0.25-0.30 g/cm32.6-2.9 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.70 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia

Africa

Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo

Europe

United Kingdom
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

Hornfels vs Gneiss Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Hornfels and Gneiss Reserves. 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. Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Hornfels vs Gneiss information and Hornfels vs Gneiss characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Hornfels vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Gneiss. Learn more about Hornfels vs Gneiss in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gneiss include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Gneiss, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Gneiss include As dimension stone.

More about Hornfels and Gneiss

Here you can know more about Hornfels and Gneiss. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Gneiss consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Gneiss includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Gneiss, 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, Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Gneiss is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Gneiss. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Gneiss is 7. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Gneiss are Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.. 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 Gneiss is white. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Gneiss is 0.70 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 Gneiss is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.