Serpentinite

Gossan

Serpentinite and Gossan

Serpentinite

Gossan

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Definition

A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.

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

History

Origin

USA

Indonesia

Discoverer

Unknown

Cornish Gossen

Etymology

From English word serpentinization.

From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy

Rough, Sandy

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Dull

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

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

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

Types

Jadeitite

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

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

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

Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides

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

Compound Content

Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

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

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-54-5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Conchoidal

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Metallic

Compressive Strength

310.00 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.79-32.0

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.5-3 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.95 kJ/Kg K0.24 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea

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

Africa

Ethiopia, Western Africa

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

Europe

England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada

Canada, USA

South America

Colombia

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Serpentinite and Gossan Properties

Know all about Serpentinite and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Serpentinite and Gossan belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Serpentinite is Earthy whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Serpentinite appears Rough and Dull and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Serpentinite is waxy and dull while that of Gossan is metallic. Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. The commercial uses of Serpentinite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.