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Diabase vs Rhyolite


Rhyolite vs Diabase


Definition

Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar   
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica   

History
  
  

Origin
Germany   
North America   

Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch   
Ferdinand von Richthofen   

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

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic, Granular   
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic   

Color
Dark Grey to Black   
Grey, White, Light Black   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Vesicular   
Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

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

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.   

Features
Smooth to touch   
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.   
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
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine   
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
6-7   

Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained   
Large and Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Sub-conchoidal   

Streak
Black   
Colorless   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Earthy   

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2   
7
140.00 N/mm2   
15

Cleavage
Not Available   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.6   
2   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
2.65-2.67   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3   
2.4-2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India   
China, India   

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

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain   

Others
Antarctica, Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   

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Diabase 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 Diabase and Rhyolite Reserves. Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar. 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 Diabase vs Rhyolite information and Diabase vs Rhyolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Diabase 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. Diabase vs Rhyolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diabase and Properties of Rhyolite. Learn more about Diabase vs Rhyolite in the next section. The interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, 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 Diabase and Rhyolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diabase in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, 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 Diabase and Rhyolite

Here you can know more about Diabase and Rhyolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diabase and Rhyolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine 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 Diabase vs Rhyolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. Appearance of Diabase is Vesicular and that of Rhyolite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diabase vs Rhyolite. The hardness of Diabase is 7 and that of Rhyolite is 6-7. The types of Diabase are Not Available 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 Diabase is black while that of Rhyolite is colorless. The specific heat capacity of Diabase is Not Available and that of Rhyolite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.

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