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
During the impact melted material forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments together form Suevite rock.
Origin
New Zealand
Canada, Germany
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
No etymologies found
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Earthy
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Biotite hornfels
Phyllosilicates, Calcite
Features
Smooth to touch
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
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.
Suevite is a metamorphic rock consisting partly of melted material, typically forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments, formed during an impact event.
Mineral Content
Andalusite
Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
-
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
-
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
-
Europe
United Kingdom
England, France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
-
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
-
Hornfels vs Suevite 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 Suevite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Suevite. Learn more about Hornfels vs Suevite in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Suevite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Suevite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Suevite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Hornfels and Suevite
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Suevite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Suevite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Suevite includes Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Suevite, 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, Suevite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Suevite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Suevite. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Suevite is 5.5. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Suevite are Phyllosilicates, Calcite. 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 Suevite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Suevite is 0.92 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 Suevite is heat resistant.