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
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Origin
New Zealand
Iceland
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Vitreous
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Black, Dark Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, 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
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Biotite hornfels
Not Available
Features
Smooth to touch
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA
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.
Tachylite 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
Feldspar, Olivine
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Fe, Mg
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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Toughness
Not Yet Found
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
2.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
3.058 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
East Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Others
Not Yet Found
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Victoria
Hornfels vs Tachylite 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 Tachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Tachylite. Learn more about Hornfels vs Tachylite in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Tachylite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Tachylite include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers.
More about Hornfels and Tachylite
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Tachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Tachylite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Hornfels vs Tachylite, 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, Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Tachylite is Glassy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Tachylite. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Tachylite is 5.5. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Tachylite 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 Tachylite is vermilion. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Tachylite is 0.56 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 Tachylite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.