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Obsidian and Porphyry Definition


Porphyry and Obsidian Definition


Definition

Definition
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   
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix   

History
  
  

Origin
Ethiopia   
Egypt   

Discoverer
Obsius   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius   
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture >>
<< Summary

Definition of Obsidian and Porphyry

The general Obsidian and Porphyry 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, Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix. Along with definition of Obsidian and Porphyry, get to know about Properties of Obsidian and Porphyry. Get to know more information about Obsidian and Porphyry origin and discoverer, etymology and class.

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History of Obsidian and Porphyry

The history of Obsidian and Porphyry 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 Porphyry Origin and Discoverer

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

Etymology of Obsidian and Porphyry

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

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