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Obsidian
Obsidian

Anorthosite
Anorthosite



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Obsidian
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Anorthosite

Obsidian vs Anorthosite

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
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

History

Origin

Ethiopia
-

Discoverer

Obsius
Unknown

Etymology

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
Plutonic

Other Categories

Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Glassy
Foliated, Glassy

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Surgery
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Types

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Features

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

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.
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.

Composition

Mineral Content

-
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.55-6
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

-
Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Irregular

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm2180.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
-

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.62-2.82
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Translucent

Density

2.6 g/cm32.7-4 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, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
-

Africa

Kenya
-

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

Obsidian vs Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite 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. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or 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 Anorthosite information and Obsidian vs Anorthosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Obsidian vs Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Anorthosite. Learn more about Obsidian vs Anorthosite in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Anorthosite, 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 Anorthosite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate.

More about Obsidian and Anorthosite

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Anorthosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Anorthosite, 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, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.