Formation
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Wind Erosion
Rhyolite and Tonalite Formation
Formation of rocks is a long process and hence, Rhyolite and Tonalite formation sounds very interesting. According to the formation, all rocks are divided into :Igneous Rocks, Fossil Rocks and Metamorphic Rocks. Igneous rocks form by crystallization of magma or lava. The magma is made up of various components of pre-existing rocks which have been subjected to melting either at subduction zones or within the Earth's mantle. Igneous rocks are generally seen at mid ocean ridges or in intra-plate hotspots. Sedimentary rocks are formed when sediments accumulate gradually. As the sediments are buried they get compacted as more and more material is deposited on top. Eventually the sediments become so dense that they form a rock. Metamorphic rocks are rocks which once existed as igneous or sedimentary rocks but have been subjected to varying degrees of pressure and heat within the Earth's crust. Get to know all about formation of Rhyolite and Tonalite, composition of Rhyolite and Tonalite and their transformation.