Home
Compare Rocks


Websterite and Skarn


Skarn 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.   
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
Webster, North Carolina   
USA, Australia   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Tornebohm   

Etymology
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina   
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic   
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough   

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

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
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
Not Yet Used   
Not Applicable   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Endoskarns   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
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. Skarn 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   
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

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

Erosion
Yes   
No   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Not Applicable   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
6.5   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Irregular   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
Light to dark brown   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   
Waxy and Dull   

Cleavage
Irregular   
Slaty   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.4   

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5   
2.86   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka   

Africa
South Africa   
South Africa, Western Africa   

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

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland   
Central Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Websterite and Skarn Properties

Know all about Websterite and Skarn properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Websterite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Skarn belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Websterite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic whereas that of Skarn is Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough. Websterite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Skarn appears Dull. The luster of Websterite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Skarn is waxy and dull. Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas Skarn is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Websterite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Skarn are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, metallurgical flux, source of magnesia (mgo).

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks