Definition
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
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
Origin
North America
Ethiopia
Discoverer
Unknown
Obsius
Etymology
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Glassy
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Surgery
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Types
Icelandite
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.
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.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Not Available
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Not Applicable
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Toughness
1.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Kenya
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand
Andesite 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. Andesite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Andesite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.
More about Andesite and Obsidian
Here you can know more about Andesite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Andesite are Icelandite 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 Andesite and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 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.Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.