Amphibolite

Obsidian

Amphibolite vs Obsidian

Amphibolite

Obsidian

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase

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

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Unknown

Ethiopia

1.2.2 Discoverer

Alexandre Brongniart

Obsius

1.3 Etymology

From Amphibole + -ite

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

1.4 Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Not Applicable

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Banded, Foliated, Massive

Glassy

2.2 Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Foliated

Shiny

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings

Garden Decoration

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Not Yet Used

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Surgery

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

4 Types

4.1 Types

Hornblendite

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

4.2 Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.

When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite

Not Available

5.2.2 Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

6-75-5.5

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Not Applicable

6.1.3 Fracture

Irregular to Conchoidal

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

White to Grey

White

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Vitreous

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

NA0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Irregular

Non-Existent

6.1.9 Toughness

2.3

Not Available

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.52.6-2.7

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

6.1.12 Density

2.85-3.07 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

NA0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

Russia, Turkey

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Kenya

7.1.3 Europe

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

7.2.2 South America

Brazil

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

South Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand

Amphibolite vs Obsidian 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 Amphibolite and Obsidian Reserves. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. 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. 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 Amphibolite vs Obsidian information and Amphibolite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Amphibolite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Amphibolite is white to grey while that of Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is Not Available and that of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.