Pumice

Gossan

Pumice and Gossan

Pumice

Gossan

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Definition

Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals

Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.

History

Origin

Spain

Indonesia

Discoverer

Unknown

Cornish Gossen

Etymology

From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex

From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Vesicular

Rough, Sandy

Color

Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Powder

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks

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

Medical Industry

As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

Types

Scoria

Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.

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

Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica

Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon

Compound Content

Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

64-5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Planar

Conchoidal

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Earthy

Metallic

Compressive Strength

51.20 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.862.0

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

0.25-0.3 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K0.24 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

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

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

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

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Pumice and Gossan Properties

Know all about Pumice and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pumice belongs to Igneous Rocks while Gossan belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Pumice is Vesicular whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Pumice appears Vesicular and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Pumice is earthy while that of Gossan is metallic. Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. The commercial uses of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums and that of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.