Definition
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth
Origin
USA, Australia
Egypt
Discoverer
Tornebohm
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Gold and Silver production, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Applicable
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Types
Endoskarns
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Skarn is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Basalt forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Not Available
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
Light to dark brown
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Not Available
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Slaty
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa, Western Africa
South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Skarn vs Basalt 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. Skarn vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Skarn and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Skarn vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Skarn include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Skarn and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Skarn in construction industry include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Gold and silver production, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Skarn and Basalt
Here you can know more about Skarn and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Skarn and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Skarn includes Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Skarn vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Skarn is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Skarn is Dull and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Skarn vs Basalt. The hardness of Skarn is 6.5 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Skarn are Endoskarns whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Skarn is light to dark brown while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Skarn is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Skarn is heat resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.