Marble

Obsidian

Marble vs Obsidian

Marble

Obsidian

Add ⊕

1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time

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

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Egypt

Ethiopia

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

Obsius

1.3 Etymology

From the Greek marmaros, shining stone and also from the English word marmoreal meaning marble-like

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

1.4 Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Not Applicable

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Granular

Glassy

2.2 Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

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

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Veined and Shiny

Shiny

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

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

Garden Decoration

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Not Yet Used

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Surgery

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Paper Industry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

4 Types

4.1 Types

Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble

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

4.2 Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Capitol Hill Building, Washington DC, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Ephesus in Turkey, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Louvre in Paris, France, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, Parthenon in Greece, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Qutb Minar in India, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower of Pisa, Italy, Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India, Washington Monument, US

Not Applicable

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Bust of Artemis, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lincoln Memorial in America

Not Applicable

4.3.5 Pictographs

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone in the earth crust. It is formed by the metamorphism of limestone.

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.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz

Not Available

5.2.2 Compound Content

CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

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

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Impact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

3-45-5.5

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Medium Grained

Not Applicable

6.1.3 Fracture

Not Available

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

White

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous

Vitreous

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Perfect

Non-Existent

6.1.9 Toughness

Not Available

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.6-2.7

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

6.1.12 Density

2.4-2.7 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

China, India

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

Namibia

Kenya

7.1.3 Europe

Italy, Spain

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Not Yet Found

Canada, Mexico, USA

7.2.2 South America

Not Yet Found

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

New Zealand

Marble 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 Marble and Obsidian Reserves. Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time. 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 Marble vs Obsidian information and Marble vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks » More

Marble vs Migmatite

Marble vs Phyllite

Marble vs Amphibolite

» More

More Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Marble 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. Marble vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Marble and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Marble vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Marble include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Marble and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Marble in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Marble and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Marble and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Marble and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Marble includes Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Marble vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Marble is available in black, blue, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Marble is Veined and Shiny and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Marble vs Obsidian. The hardness of Marble is 3-4 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Marble are Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble 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 Marble and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Marble is 0.88 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.Marble is heat resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.