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Obsidian
Obsidian

Basanite 
Basanite 



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Obsidian
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Basanite 

Obsidian vs Basanite 

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
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone

History

Origin

Ethiopia
-

Discoverer

Obsius
Unknown

Etymology

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

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
-

Other Categories

Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Glassy
Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Shiny
Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

-
Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Surgery
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms

Types

Types

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite

Features

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone

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.
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.

Composition

Mineral Content

-
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.57
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

-
Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm2100.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
1.5

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.5-2.8
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm32.7 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.74 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
-

Africa

Kenya
Uganda

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain

Others

-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Obsidian vs Basanite  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 Basanite  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. Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone. 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 Basanite  information and Obsidian vs Basanite  characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Obsidian vs Basanite  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 Basanite  characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Basanite . Learn more about Obsidian vs Basanite  in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basanite  include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Basanite , 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 Basanite  include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.

More about Obsidian and Basanite 

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Basanite . The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Basanite  consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Basanite  includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Basanite , 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, Basanite  is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Basanite  is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Basanite . The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Basanite  is 7. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Basanite  are Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Basanite  is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Basanite  is 0.74 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 Basanite  is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.