Home
×

Rhyolite
Rhyolite

Gneiss
Gneiss



ADD
Compare
X
Rhyolite
X
Gneiss

Rhyolite vs Gneiss

Add ⊕
1 Definition
1.1 Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks
1.2 History
1.2.1 Origin
North America
Unknown
1.2.2 Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Unknown
1.3 Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)
1.4 Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
1.4.1 Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
1.5 Family
1.5.1 Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
1.6 Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
2 Texture
2.1 Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Banded, Foliated, Platy
2.2 Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White
2.3 Maintenance
More
More
2.4 Durability
Durable
Durable
2.4.1 Water Resistant
81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
81% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.2 Scratch Resistant
86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
65% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.3 Stain Resistant
66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
42% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.4 Wind Resistant
49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
19% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.5 Acid Resistant
48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
15% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
2.5 Appearance
Banded
Foliated
3 Uses
3.1 Architecture
3.1.1 Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
3.1.2 Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
3.2 Industry
3.2.1 Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
As Dimension Stone
3.2.2 Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
3.3 Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
3.4 Other Uses
3.4.1 Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
4 Types
4.1 Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.
4.2 Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
4.3 Archaeological Significance
4.3.1 Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
4.3.2 Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US
4.3.3 Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
4.3.4 Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4.3.5 Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
4.3.6 Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
4.3.7 Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
4.4 Fossils
Absent
Absent
5 Formation
5.1 Formation
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.
5.2 Composition
5.2.1 Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon
5.2.2 Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
5.3 Transformation
5.3.1 Metamorphism
97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
50% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
5.3.3 Weathering
99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
65% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.4 Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
5.3.5 Erosion
92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
77% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.6 Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion
6 Properties
6.1 Physical Properties
6.1.1 Hardness
6-7
7
6.1.2 Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
6.1.3 Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Irregular
6.1.4 Streak
Colorless
White
6.1.5 Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
6.1.6 Luster
Earthy
Dull
6.1.7 Compressive Strength
Flint
140.00 N/mm2
Rank: 15 (Overall)
125.00 N/mm2
Rank: 17 (Overall)
Obsidian
ADD ⊕
6.1.8 Cleavage
Not Available
Poor
6.1.9 Toughness
2
1.2
6.1.10 Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
2.5-2.7
6.1.11 Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
6.1.12 Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
2.6-2.9 g/cm3
6.2 Thermal Properties
6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity
Banded iron for..
Not Available
Rank: N/A (Overall)
Not Available
Rank: N/A (Overall)
Granulite
ADD ⊕
6.2.2 Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
7 Reserves
7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents
7.1.1 Asia
China, India
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia
7.1.2 Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo
7.1.3 Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
7.1.4 Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
7.2 Deposits in Western Continents
7.2.1 North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
7.2.2 South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent
7.3.1 Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

Rhyolite vs Gneiss 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 Rhyolite and Gneiss Reserves. Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica. Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. 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 Rhyolite vs Gneiss information and Rhyolite vs Gneiss characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Rhyolite vs Gneiss 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. Rhyolite vs Gneiss characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Gneiss. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Gneiss in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Gneiss include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Gneiss, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Rhyolite in construction industry include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives and that of Gneiss include As dimension stone.

More about Rhyolite and Gneiss

Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Gneiss. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Gneiss consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Gneiss includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Gneiss, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors whereas, Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Gneiss is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Gneiss. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Gneiss is 7. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Gneiss are Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Rhyolite is colorless while that of Gneiss is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is Not Available and that of Gneiss is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Gneiss is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.