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Obsidian vs Banded iron formation


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

History
  
  

Origin
Ethiopia   
Western Australia, Minnesota   

Discoverer
Obsius   
Unknown   

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   
Not Applicable   

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
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

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
Not Yet Used   
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   
Not Yet Used   

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
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet 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.   
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
Not Available   
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
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   
Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5   
5.5-6   

Grain Size
Not Applicable   
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/mm2   
33
Not Available   

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Imperfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
5.0-5.3   

Transparency
Translucent   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1

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
Not Yet Found   
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   

Definition >>
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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.

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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 is not available 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.

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