Kimberlite

Rhyolite

Kimberlite vs Rhyolite

Kimberlite

Rhyolite

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Definition

Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.

Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica

History

Origin

Kimberley, South Africa

North America

Discoverer

John W. Judd

Ferdinand von Richthofen

Etymology

From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.

From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Porphyritic

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic

Color

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey

Grey, White, Light Black

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Banded

Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry

Types

Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites

Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.

Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.

Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.

Composition

Mineral Content

Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene

Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Coarse Grained

Large and Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Sub-conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Earthy

Compressive Strength

260.00 N/mm²140.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Conchoidal

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.65-2.67

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.95-2.96 g/cm³2.4-2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.71 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Russia

China, India

Africa

Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom

Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain

Others

Antarctica

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

Kimberlite vs Rhyolite 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 Kimberlite and Rhyolite Reserves. Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.. Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica. 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 Kimberlite vs Rhyolite information and Kimberlite vs Rhyolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Kimberlite vs Rhyolite 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. Kimberlite vs Rhyolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Kimberlite and Properties of Rhyolite. Learn more about Kimberlite vs Rhyolite in the next section. The interior uses of Kimberlite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Kimberlite and Rhyolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Kimberlite in construction industry include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Rhyolite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives.

More about Kimberlite and Rhyolite

Here you can know more about Kimberlite and Rhyolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Kimberlite and Rhyolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Kimberlite includes Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Kimberlite vs Rhyolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Kimberlite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas, Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. Appearance of Kimberlite is Dull and Banded and that of Rhyolite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Kimberlite vs Rhyolite. Hardness of Kimberlite and Rhyolite is 6-7. The types of Kimberlite are Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites whereas types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Kimberlite is white while that of Rhyolite is . The specific heat capacity of Kimberlite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Rhyolite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Kimberlite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.