Hornblendite

Obsidian

Hornblendite and Obsidian

Hornblendite

Obsidian

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Definition

Hornblendite is a type of igneous plutonic rock consisting mainly of amphibole hornblende and is a type of Amphibolite rock

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

History

Origin

Ethiopia

Discoverer

Unknown

Obsius

Etymology

From German, Horn horn + blende

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded, Foliated, Massive

Glassy

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Foliated

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, 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

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

Types

Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Hornblendite 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.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Calcite, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Wollastonite

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-75-5.5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular to Conchoidal

Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

250.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.52.6-2.7

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

Density

2.85-3.07 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Russia, Turkey

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Kenya

Europe

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

South Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand

All about Hornblendite and Obsidian Properties

Know all about Hornblendite and Obsidian properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Hornblendite and Obsidian belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Hornblendite is Banded, Foliated, Massive whereas that of Obsidian is Glassy. Hornblendite appears Foliated and Obsidian appears Shiny. The luster of Hornblendite is vitreous to dull while that of Obsidian is vitreous. Hornblendite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Hornblendite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Obsidian are creating artwork, mirror, used in aquariums.