Obsidian and Slate Definition

Definition of Obsidian and Slate

The general Obsidian and Slate 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, Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. Along with definition of Obsidian and Slate, get to know about Properties of Obsidian and Slate. Get to know more information about Obsidian and Slate origin and discoverer, etymology and class.

History of Obsidian and Slate

The history of Obsidian and Slate 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 Slate Origin and Discoverer

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

Etymology of Obsidian and Slate

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

For Obsidian,

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

For Slate,

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