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Amphibolite vs Obsidian


Obsidian vs Amphibolite


Definition

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  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
Ethiopia  

Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart  
Obsius  

Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite  
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive  
Glassy  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Foliated  
Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings  
Garden Decoration  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
-  

Industry
  
  

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  

Medical Industry
-  
Surgery  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Jewellery  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums  

Types

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

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny  
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

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.  

Composition
  
  

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

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
5-5.5  

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained  
-  

Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White to Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Very Less Porous  

Luster
Vitreous to Dull  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
90.00 N/mm2  
32
0.15 N/mm2  
99+

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
2.3  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.5  
2.6-2.7  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent  

Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3  
2.6 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia, Turkey  
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia  

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

Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland  
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, Mexico, USA  

South America
Brazil  
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
South Australia, Western Australia  
New Zealand  

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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 includes . 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 0.84 kJ/Kg K 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.

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