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Charnockite and Obsidian


Obsidian and Charnockite


Definition

Definition
Charnockite is a variety of granite containing minerals like orthopyroxene, quartz, and feldspar  
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
Tamil Nadu, India  
Ethiopia  

Discoverer
T. H. Holland  
Obsius  

Etymology
From Job Charnock, an administtrator of East India Company  
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  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Granular  
Glassy  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Veined or Pebbled  
Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads  
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone  
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points  

Medical Industry
-  
Surgery  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Jewellery  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones  
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums  

Types

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

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock  
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Charnockite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard and is formed due to weathering of existing rocks.  
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, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz  
-  

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
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
5-5.5  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
-  

Fracture
-  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Very Less Porous  

Luster
-  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
190.00 N/mm2  
15
0.15 N/mm2  
99+

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
-9999  
2.6-2.7  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent  

Density
2.6 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, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India  
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia  

Africa
East Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique  
Kenya  

Europe
Albania, Romania, Scotland, United Kingdom  
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, Mexico, USA  

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia  
New Zealand  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Charnockite and Obsidian Properties

Know all about Charnockite and Obsidian properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Charnockite and Obsidian belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Charnockite is Granular whereas that of Obsidian is Glassy. Charnockite appears Veined or Pebbled and Obsidian appears Shiny. The luster of Charnockite is while that of Obsidian is vitreous. Charnockite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Charnockite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones and that of Obsidian are creating artwork, mirror, used in aquariums.

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