Definition
Hawaiite is volcanic rock that resembles basalt. It is an olivine basalt with intermediate composition between alkali olivine and mugearite
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
Origin
Hawaii Islands
Ethiopia
Discoverer
Joseph Iddings
Obsius
Etymology
From Hawaii Islands
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Glassy
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Surgery
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Sea Defence
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Hawaiite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes and reach the Earth's surface.
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
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Not Available
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
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Not Available
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Vitreous
Cleavage
Not Applicable
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
Not Available
2.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
South Africa
Kenya
Europe
Iceland
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Hawaii Islands
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New Zealand
Hawaiite 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. Hawaiite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hawaiite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Hawaiite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Hawaiite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hawaiite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hawaiite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.
More about Hawaiite and Obsidian
Here you can know more about Hawaiite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hawaiite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hawaiite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Hawaiite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Hawaiite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Hawaiite is Dull and Soft and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hawaiite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Hawaiite is 6 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Hawaiite 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 Hawaiite is not available while that of Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Hawaiite is Not Available 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.Hawaiite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.