Obsidian vs Basalt

Obsidian vs Basalt Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Obsidian and Basalt Reserves. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Obsidian vs Basalt information and Obsidian vs Basalt characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Obsidian vs Basalt Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Obsidian vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Obsidian vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Obsidian in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Obsidian and Basalt

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Basalt. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian is white while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.