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
Whiteschist is an uncommon rock type belonging to a class of metamorphic rock, this is formed at high-ultra-high pressures
Origin
New Zealand
Tasmania
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, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Foliated
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull
Banded and Foilated
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
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Production of Lime
Types
Biotite hornfels
Not Available
Features
Smooth to touch
High percentage of mica, Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
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.
Whiteschist is 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
Carbonate, Coesite, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
CaO, Mg, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
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
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Subvitreous to Dull
Toughness
Not Yet Found
1
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
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 Whiteschist 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 Whiteschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Whiteschist. Learn more about Hornfels vs Whiteschist in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Whiteschist include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Whiteschist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Whiteschist include For road aggregate.
More about Hornfels and Whiteschist
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Whiteschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Whiteschist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Whiteschist includes Carbonate, Coesite, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Hornfels vs Whiteschist, 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, Whiteschist is available in colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Whiteschist is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Whiteschist. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Whiteschist is 1.5. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Whiteschist 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 Whiteschist is white. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Whiteschist 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 Whiteschist is heat resistant.