skarn

English - English

Definition of skarn in English English dictionary

Any of various metamorphic rocks formed by metasomatism

the metamorphic rocks surrounding an igneous intrusive where the latter has come in contact with limestone or dolomite rocks

A replacement of limestone (calcium carbonate) or other carbonate-rich rocks adjacent to an intrusive contact by calc-silicate minerals usually through the addition of Si and other elements Epigenetic Mineralization which has been deposited later than its immediate host rocks, for example a vein The ore is younger than the host rocks Syngenetic Mineralization which has been deposited simultaneously with its host rocks, forexample placer deposits The ore is the same age as the host rocks

In geology, a metamorphic zone developed in the contact area around igneous rock intrusions when carbonate sedimentary rocks are invaded by and replaced with chemical elements that originate from the igneous rock mass nearby. Many skarns also include ore minerals; productive deposits of copper or other base metals have been found in and adjacent to skarns. The typical rock of a skarn is hornfels, a fine-grained, flinty rock produced by the heat and solutions given off by the intruding magma