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
Sovite is a coarse-grained variety of carbonatite which belongs to intrusive igneous rock
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, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Unknown, Unknown
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Biotite hornfels
Not Available
Features
Smooth to touch
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
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.
Sovites are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.
Mineral Content
Andalusite
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Toughness
Not Yet Found
1
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
2.84-2.86 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
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
New South Wales, New Zealand
Hornfels vs Sovite 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 Sovite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Sovite. Learn more about Hornfels vs Sovite in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Sovite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Sovite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Sovite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Unknown, Unknown.
More about Hornfels and Sovite
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Sovite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Sovite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Sovite includes Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Sovite, 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, Sovite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Sovite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Sovite. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Sovite is 3. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Sovite 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 Sovite is white. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Sovite 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 Sovite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.