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
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
Origin
New Zealand
Iceland
Discoverer
Unknown
Ian S. E. Carmichael
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Biotite hornfels
Not Available
Features
Smooth to touch
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
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.
Icelandite 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
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Toughness
Not Yet Found
1.1
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
United Kingdom
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Hornfels vs Icelandite 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 Icelandite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Icelandite. Learn more about Hornfels vs Icelandite in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Icelandite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Icelandite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Hornfels and Icelandite
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Icelandite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Icelandite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Icelandite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Icelandite, 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, Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Icelandite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Icelandite. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Icelandite is 7. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Icelandite 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 Icelandite is white. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Icelandite is 2.39 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 Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.
