Definition
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production
Medical Industry
Surgery
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Not Yet Used
Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry
Electricity Generation
Types
Not Available
Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
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
Felsite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Coal formation takes place due to accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. The Coal formation process continues, as peat turns into lignite brown or black coal at increasing heat and pressure.
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Iron Oxides
Not Available
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
800-801 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Kenya
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
Felsite vs Lignite 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. Felsite vs Lignite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Felsite and Properties of Lignite. Learn more about Felsite vs Lignite in the next section. The interior uses of Felsite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Lignite include Not yet used. Due to some exceptional properties of Felsite and Lignite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Felsite in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Lignite include For road aggregate, Steel production.
More about Felsite and Lignite
Here you can know more about Felsite and Lignite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Felsite and Lignite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Felsite includes Feldspar, Iron Oxides and mineral content of Lignite is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Felsite vs Lignite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Lignite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Felsite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Lignite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Felsite vs Lignite. The hardness of Felsite is 5-5.5 and that of Lignite is 1. The types of Felsite are Not Available whereas types of Lignite are Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Felsite is white while that of Lignite is black. The specific heat capacity of Felsite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Lignite is 1.26 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Felsite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Lignite is heat resistant.
