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Obsidian
Obsidian

Amphibolite
Amphibolite



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Obsidian vs Amphibolite

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
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase

History

Origin

Ethiopia
-

Discoverer

Obsius
Alexandre Brongniart

Etymology

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From Amphibole + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
-

Other Categories

Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Glassy
Banded, Foliated, Massive

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Shiny
Foliated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Surgery
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

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

Features

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

Formation

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.
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.

Composition

Mineral Content

-
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.56-7
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

-
Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Irregular to Conchoidal

Streak

White
White to Grey

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm290.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
2.3

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.5
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm32.85-3.07 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Russia, Turkey

Africa

Kenya
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand
South Australia, Western Australia

Obsidian vs Amphibolite 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 Obsidian and Amphibolite Reserves. 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. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. 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 Obsidian vs Amphibolite information and Obsidian vs Amphibolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Obsidian vs Amphibolite 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. Obsidian vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Obsidian vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Obsidian in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.

More about Obsidian and Amphibolite

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Amphibolite. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian is white while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.