Definition
Anthracite is a type of sedimentary rock which is hard and is variety of coal that has high luster
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
Pennsylvania, U.S.
Ethiopia
Discoverer
Unknown
Obsius
Etymology
From Greek anthrakites, from anthrax, anthrak meaning coal
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Texture
Amorphous, Glassy
Glassy
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Shiny
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Manufacture of Aspirins
Surgery
Antiquity Uses
Not Yet Used
Artifacts, Jewellery
Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Types
Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Features
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Anthracite forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. When plant debris dies and falls into the swamp, the standing water of the swamp protects it from decay.
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
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals
Not Available
Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Not Applicable
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
1.25-2.5 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Kenya
Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
New Zealand
Anthracite 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. Anthracite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anthracite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Anthracite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Anthracite include Not yet used whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Anthracite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Anthracite in construction industry include Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel production and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.
More about Anthracite and Obsidian
Here you can know more about Anthracite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anthracite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anthracite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Anthracite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Anthracite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Anthracite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anthracite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Anthracite is 1-1.5 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Anthracite are Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite 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 Anthracite is black while that of Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Anthracite is 1.32 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.Anthracite is heat resistant, water resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.
