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Ignimbrite vs Obsidian


Obsidian vs Ignimbrite


Definition

Definition
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows   
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
Patrick Marshall   
Obsius   

Etymology
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite   
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   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic   
Glassy   

Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated   
Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   
Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate   
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Surgery   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Jewellery   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian   

Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust   
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.   
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
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz   
Not Available   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
4-6   
5-5.5   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Not Applicable   

Fracture
Uneven   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous to Dull   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
243.80 N/mm2   
5
0.15 N/mm2   
33

Cleavage
Not Available   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.73   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
1-1.8 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.20 kJ/Kg K   
25
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda   
Kenya   

Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador   
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia   
New Zealand   

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Ignimbrite vs Obsidian Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Ignimbrite and Obsidian Reserves. Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows. 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. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Ignimbrite vs Obsidian information and Ignimbrite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Ignimbrite 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. Ignimbrite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Ignimbrite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Ignimbrite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Ignimbrite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Ignimbrite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Ignimbrite in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Ignimbrite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Ignimbrite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Ignimbrite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Ignimbrite includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Ignimbrite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Ignimbrite is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Ignimbrite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Ignimbrite is 4-6 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Ignimbrite 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 Ignimbrite and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Ignimbrite is 0.20 kJ/Kg K 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.Ignimbrite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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