Obsidian and Hornfels Definition

Definition of Obsidian and Hornfels

The general Obsidian and Hornfels 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, 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. Along with definition of Obsidian and Hornfels, get to know about Properties of Obsidian and Hornfels. Get to know more information about Obsidian and Hornfels origin and discoverer, etymology and class.

History of Obsidian and Hornfels

The history of Obsidian and Hornfels 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 Hornfels Origin and Discoverer

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

Etymology of Obsidian and Hornfels

Along with Obsidian and Hornfels definition, know more about the etymology of Obsidian and Hornfels. Etymology of Obsidian and Hornfels gives information about origin and formation of a particular rock. Know more about Formation of Obsidian and Formation of Hornfels. The etymology of Obsidian is From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius while that of Hornfels 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 Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks. The sub-class, group and other categories of Obsidian and Hornfels are listed below.

For Obsidian,

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

For Hornfels,

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