Obsidian and Chert Definition

Definition of Obsidian and Chert

The general Obsidian and Chert definition can be stated as: 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. On the other hand, Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture. Along with definition of Obsidian and Chert, get to know about Properties of Obsidian and Chert. Get to know more information about Obsidian and Chert origin and discoverer, etymology and class.

History of Obsidian and Chert

The history of Obsidian and Chert 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.

Obsidian and Chert Origin and Discoverer

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

Etymology of Obsidian and Chert

Along with Obsidian and Chert definition, know more about the etymology of Obsidian and Chert. Etymology of Obsidian and Chert gives information about origin and formation of a particular rock. Know more about Formation of Obsidian and Formation of Chert. The etymology of Obsidian is From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius while that of Chert is From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius. The process of formation of rocks defines the class of rock. All the rocks in a class are formed by similar processes. Obsidian belongs to Igneous Rocks while Chert belongs to Sedimentary Rocks. The sub-class, group and other categories of Obsidian and Chert are listed below.

For Obsidian,

• Sub-class: Durable Rock and Medium Hardness Rock
• Group: Volcanic
• Other Categories: Opaque rock

For Chert,

• Sub-class: Durable Rock and Hard Rock
• Group: Not applicable
• Other Categories: Fine grained rock and Opaque rock