Definition
A water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
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
Discoverer
Usiglio
Obsius
Etymology
From a sediment left after the evaporation
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
Class
Sedimentary 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
Color
Colourless, Green, Grey, Silver, White
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Surgery
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery
Commercial Uses
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Features
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
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
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
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, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
Not Available
Compound Content
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
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, Impact 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
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Cleavage
Perfect
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.99
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Translucent
Translucent
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Available
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Not Available
Kenya
Europe
United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Colombia, Paraguay
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand
Evaporite 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. Evaporite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Evaporite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Evaporite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Evaporite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Evaporite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Evaporite in construction industry include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.
More about Evaporite and Obsidian
Here you can know more about Evaporite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Evaporite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Evaporite includes Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Evaporite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Evaporite is available in colourless, green, grey, silver, white colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Evaporite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Evaporite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Evaporite is 2-3 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Evaporite are Not Available 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 Evaporite and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Evaporite is 0.92 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.Evaporite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.