Websterite and Skarn
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
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).
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