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Hornfels and Obsidian Definition


Obsidian and Hornfels Definition


Definition

Definition
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original 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
New Zealand   
Ethiopia   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Obsius   

Etymology
From German which means hornstone   
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Opaque Rock   

Texture >>
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Definition of Hornfels and Obsidian

The general Hornfels and Obsidian definition can be stated as: Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock. On the other hand, 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. Along with definition of Hornfels and Obsidian, get to know about Properties of Hornfels and Obsidian. Get to know more information about Hornfels and Obsidian origin and discoverer, etymology and class.

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History of Hornfels and Obsidian

The history of Hornfels and Obsidian gives information about where the rock was found and who was its discoverer. Almost each and every aspect of Earth's history is recorded in rocks be it the volcanoes which were erupted or the plants, animals and organisms which are now extinct, as rocks are present from millions of years.

Hornfels and Obsidian Origin and Discoverer

Hornfels and Obsidian definition gives us a brief idea about the two rocks. In some cases, the definition also gives summary about the Formation of Hornfels and Obsidian. In this section, you will know about Hornfels and Obsidian Origin and Discoverer. Origin of Hornfels is New Zealand whereas Origin of Obsidian is Ethiopia. It is interesting to know the name of Hornfels and Obsidian discoverer. The Discoverer of Hornfels is Unknown and the discoverer of Obsidian is Obsius.

Etymology of Hornfels and Obsidian

Along with Hornfels and Obsidian definition, know more about the etymology of Hornfels and Obsidian. Etymology of Hornfels and Obsidian gives information about origin and formation of a particular rock. Know more about Formation of Hornfels and Formation of Obsidian. The etymology of Hornfels is From German which means hornstone while that of Obsidian is From German which means hornstone. The process of formation of rocks defines the class of rock. All the rocks in a class are formed by similar processes. Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Obsidian belongs to Igneous Rocks. The sub-class, group and other categories of Hornfels and Obsidian are listed below.

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