Definition
A carbonate rock which is matrix supported and contains over 10% allochems in a carbonate mud matrix.
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin
History
Origin
-
USA, Australia
Discoverer
Unknown
Tornebohm
Etymology
From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Dull
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
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
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Pottery
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Marl, Shale and Argillite
Endoskarns
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Absent
Formation
Wackestone is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles settle down and are then compacted due to high temperature and pressure hence forming Wackestone.
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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
2-36.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
White
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm270.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Slaty
Toughness
2.6
2.4
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.82.86
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia