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Marble and Gossan


Gossan and Marble


Definition

Definition
Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time  
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.  

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt  
Indonesia  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Cornish Gossen  

Etymology
From the Greek marmaros, shining stone and also from the English word marmoreal meaning marble-like  
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

Other Categories
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Granular  
Rough, Sandy  

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Pink, White  
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust  

Maintenance
More  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Veined and Shiny  
Dull and Banded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
-  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Paper Industry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone  

Types

Types
Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble  
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan  

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Capitol Hill Building, Washington DC, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Ephesus in Turkey, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Louvre in Paris, France, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, Parthenon in Greece, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Qutb Minar in India, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower of Pisa, Italy, Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India, Washington Monument, US  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Bust of Artemis, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lincoln Memorial in America  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone in the earth crust. It is formed by the metamorphism of limestone.  
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz  
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon  

Compound Content
CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4  
4-5  

Grain Size
Medium Grained  
Fine to Medium Grained  

Fracture
-  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous  
Metallic  

Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2  
27
-  

Cleavage
Perfect  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87  
2.0  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.4-2.7 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K  
13
0.24 kJ/Kg K  
31

Resistance
Heat Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India  
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea  

Africa
Namibia  
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa  

Europe
Italy, Spain  
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
-  
Canada, USA  

South America
-  
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria  
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Marble and Gossan Properties

Know all about Marble and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Marble and Gossan belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Marble is Granular whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Marble appears Veined and Shiny and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Marble is dull to pearly to subvitreous while that of Gossan is metallic. Marble is available in black, blue, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. The commercial uses of Marble are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, laboratory bench tops, paper industry, tombstones, used in aquariums, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper and that of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.

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