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Obsidian vs Arkose


Arkose vs Obsidian


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   
Arkose is a sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar   

History
  
  

Origin
Ethiopia   
France   

Discoverer
Obsius   
Alexandre Brongniart   

Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius   
From Auvergne region of France used by a French geologist Alexandre Brongniart in 1826 who applied this term to some feldspathic sandstones   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Glassy   
Clastic   

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   
Reddish Brown   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Shiny   
Rough and Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration   
Paving Stone, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   

Medical Industry
Surgery   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery   
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums   
In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones   

Types

Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian   
Not Available   

Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

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.   
Arkose rock forms from the weathering of feldspar-rich igneous or metamorphic rock, most commonly granitic rocks, which are primarily composed of quartz and feldspar.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Not Available   
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz   

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, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5   
6-7   

Grain Size
Not Applicable   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Vitreous   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2   
33
Not Available   

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
0   

Transparency
Translucent   
Opaque   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Kenya   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

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   
New South Wales, New Zealand   

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Obsidian vs Arkose 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 Arkose 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. Arkose is a sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar. 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 Arkose information and Obsidian vs Arkose characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Obsidian vs Arkose 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 Arkose characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Arkose. Learn more about Obsidian vs Arkose in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Arkose include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Arkose, 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 Arkose include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.

More about Obsidian and Arkose

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Arkose. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Arkose consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Arkose includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Arkose, 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, Arkose is available in reddish brown colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Arkose is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Arkose. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Arkose is 6-7. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Arkose are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Arkose is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Arkose is Not Available. 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 Arkose is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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