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Websterite and Hornfels


Hornfels and Websterite


Definition

Definition
Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.   
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock   

History
  
  

Origin
Webster, North Carolina   
New Zealand   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina   
From German which means hornstone   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic   
Granular, Platy   

Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey   
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Biotite hornfels   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.   
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene   
Andalusite   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   
Fe, Mg   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
2-3   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
Unknown   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   
Shiny   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
5.80 N/mm2   
31

Cleavage
Irregular   
Perfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Yet Found   

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5   
3.4-3.9   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3   
0.25-0.30 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand   

Africa
South Africa   
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa   

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   
United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Websterite and Hornfels Properties

Know all about Websterite and Hornfels properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Websterite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Websterite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic whereas that of Hornfels is Granular, Platy. Websterite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Hornfels appears Dull. The luster of Websterite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Hornfels is shiny. Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors. The commercial uses of Websterite and Hornfels are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.

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