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Obsidian
Obsidian

Diabase
Diabase



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Obsidian
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Obsidian vs Diabase

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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
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar

History

Origin

Ethiopia
Germany

Discoverer

Obsius
Christian Leopold von Buch

Etymology

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From Greek di + base

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
Volcanic

Other Categories

Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Glassy
Aphanitic, Granular

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Dark Grey to Black

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Shiny
Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Surgery
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

Types

Types

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Dolerite

Features

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Smooth to touch

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

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.
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.

Composition

Mineral Content

-
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine

Compound Content

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

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
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.57
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

-
Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Conchoidal

Streak

White
Black

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous
-

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
1.6

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.86-2.87
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm32.7-3.3 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, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
India

Africa

Kenya
South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Others

-
Antarctica, Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

Obsidian vs Diabase 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 Diabase 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. Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and 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 Diabase information and Obsidian vs Diabase characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Obsidian and Diabase

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