Definition
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
Tornebohm
Etymology
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
65% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
42% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
19% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
15% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
Appearance
Dull
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
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, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Endoskarns
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Absent
Formation
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
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite
Compound Content
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
50% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
65% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks
Types of Weathering
-
Erosion
✔
✘
77% - Metamorphic Rocks Rocks
Types of Erosion
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Streak
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm2
Rank: 35 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Slaty
Toughness
2.4
Specific Gravity
2.86
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 10 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
Africa
South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia