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Obsidian
Obsidian

Banded iron formation
Banded iron formation



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Obsidian
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Banded iron formation

Obsidian vs Banded iron formation

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
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age

History

Origin

Ethiopia
Western Australia, Minnesota

Discoverer

Obsius
Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Etymology

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From its formation process

Class

Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

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

Family

Group

Volcanic
-

Other Categories

Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Glassy
Banded, Trellis

Color

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

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, Homes

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration
Paving Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Surgery
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite

Features

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

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.
The banded iron layers are formed in sea water when oxygen is released by photosynthetic cyano-bacteria. The oxygen then combines with dissolved iron in ocean to form insoluble iron oxides, which precipitated out, forming a thin layer of banded iron formation on ocean floor.

Composition

Mineral Content

-
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.55.5-6
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

-
Large and Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Earthy

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm2220.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
1.5

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.75.0-5.3
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K3.20 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Kenya
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Others

-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Obsidian vs Banded iron formation 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 Banded iron formation 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. Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age. 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 Banded iron formation information and Obsidian vs Banded iron formation characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Obsidian vs Banded iron formation 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 Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Obsidian vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Banded iron formation, 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 Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Obsidian and Banded iron formation

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Banded iron formation. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Banded iron formation, 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, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Banded iron formation is 3.20 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 Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.