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Variolite vs Gossan


Gossan vs Variolite


Definition

Definition
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance   
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.   

History
  
  

Origin
France   
Indonesia   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Cornish Gossen   

Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated   
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   
Rough, Sandy   

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Dull and Soft   
Dull and Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.   
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
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Not Applicable   
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
4-5   

Grain Size
Not Applicable   
Fine to Medium Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Metallic   

Compressive Strength
37.50 N/mm2   
27
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Not Available   

Toughness
2.3   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.8-3   
2.0   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
0.24 kJ/Kg K   
24

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

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

Europe
Iceland   
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia   

Definition >>
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Variolite vs Gossan 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 Variolite and Gossan Reserves. Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance. Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.. 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 Variolite vs Gossan information and Variolite vs Gossan characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Variolite vs Gossan 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. Variolite vs Gossan characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Gossan. Learn more about Variolite vs Gossan in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Gossan, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Variolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Gossan include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Variolite and Gossan

Here you can know more about Variolite and Gossan. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Gossan consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Gossan includes Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Gossan, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Gossan is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Gossan. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Gossan is 4-5. The types of Variolite are Not Available whereas types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Variolite and Gossan is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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