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
  
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt
  
History
  
  
Origin
Ethiopia
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Obsius
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
  
Not Available
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Glassy
  
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
  
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
  
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Shiny
  
Dull and Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration
  
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
  
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Surgery
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
  
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
  
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
  
Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
  
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
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.
  
Epidosite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Not Available
  
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
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, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Not Applicable
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
5-5.5
  
6
  
Grain Size
Not Applicable
  
Fine to Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White to Grey
  
Porosity
Very Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Vitreous
  
Not Available
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
2.3
  
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
  
2.8-3
  
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, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
  
India, Russia
  
Africa
Kenya
  
South Africa
  
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
  
Iceland
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
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
  
Not Yet Found
  
Obsidian vs Epidosite 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 Epidosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Epidosite. Learn more about Obsidian vs Epidosite in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Epidosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Epidosite, 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 Epidosite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Obsidian and Epidosite
Here you can know more about Obsidian and Epidosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Epidosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Epidosite, 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, Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Epidosite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Epidosite. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Epidosite is 6. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Epidosite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. 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 Epidosite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Epidosite 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 Epidosite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.