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
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Origin
New Zealand
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Foliated, Platy
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull
Layered and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Types
Biotite hornfels
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Features
Smooth to touch
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet 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.
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
Mineral Content
Andalusite
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Toughness
Not Yet Found
1.5
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
2.5-2.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Hornfels vs Schist 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 Schist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Schist. Learn more about Hornfels vs Schist in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Schist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Schist include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Hornfels and Schist
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Schist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Schist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Hornfels vs Schist, 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, Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Schist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Schist. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Schist is 3.5-4. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.. 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 Schist is white. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Schist 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 Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.