Andesite

Rhyolite

Andesite vs Rhyolite

Andesite

Rhyolite

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Definition

Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava

Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica

History

Origin

North America

Discoverer

Theodor von Gümbel

Ferdinand von Richthofen

Etymology

From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance

From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic

Color

Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow

Grey, White, Light Black

Maintenance

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

Office Buildings, Roof Tiles

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry

Types

Icelandite

Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.

Features

Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Middle of the Earth in Ecuador

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.

Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon

Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide

Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

76-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Large and Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Sub-conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Earthy

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²140.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

1.1

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.65-2.67

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.11-2.36 g/cm³2.4-2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

2.39 kJ/Kg K0.71 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea

China, India

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom

Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

Andesite vs Rhyolite 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 Andesite and Rhyolite Reserves. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica. 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 Andesite vs Rhyolite information and Andesite vs Rhyolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Andesite and Rhyolite

Here you can know more about Andesite and Rhyolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Rhyolite 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 Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Rhyolite, 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, Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Rhyolite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Rhyolite. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Rhyolite is 6-7. The types of Andesite are Icelandite whereas types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Andesite is white while that of Rhyolite is . The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Rhyolite is 0.71 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 Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.