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Skarn
Skarn

Limestone
Limestone



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Skarn vs Limestone

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Definition

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
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate

History

Origin

USA, Australia
New Zealand

Discoverer

Tornebohm
Belsazar Hacquet

Etymology

From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
From lime and stone in late 14th Century

Class

Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough
Clastic or Non-Clastic

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Dull
Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

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
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium

Medical Industry

-
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Types

Endoskarns
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa

Features

Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

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Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Present

Formation

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.
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt

Compound Content

Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

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Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.53-4
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular
Splintery

Streak

Light to dark brown
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull
Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

70.00 N/mm2115.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty
-

Toughness

2.4
1

Specific Gravity

2.862.3-2.7
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm32.3-2.7 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.91 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant
Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

South Africa, Western Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Europe

United Kingdom
United Kingdom

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada
USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

Skarn vs Limestone Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Skarn and Limestone Reserves. Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Skarn vs Limestone information and Skarn vs Limestone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Skarn vs Limestone 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 Limestone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Skarn and Properties of Limestone. Learn more about Skarn vs Limestone in the next section. The interior uses of Skarn include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Skarn and Limestone, 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 Limestone include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium.

More about Skarn and Limestone

Here you can know more about Skarn and Limestone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Skarn and Limestone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Skarn includes Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite and mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Skarn vs Limestone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Skarn is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Skarn is Dull and that of Limestone is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Skarn vs Limestone. The hardness of Skarn is 6.5 and that of Limestone is 3-4. The types of Skarn are Endoskarns whereas types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa. 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 Limestone is white. The specific heat capacity of Skarn is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Limestone is 0.91 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 Limestone is pressure resistant.