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Obsidian vs Gossan


Gossan 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  
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.  

History
  
  

Origin
Ethiopia  
Indonesia  

Discoverer
Obsius  
Cornish Gossen  

Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius  
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
-  

Other Categories
Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Glassy  
Rough, Sandy  

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow  
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Shiny  
Dull and Banded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  

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, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
Surgery  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone  

Types

Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian  
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan  

Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates  

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.  
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
-  
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5  
4-5  

Grain Size
-  
Fine to Medium Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Vitreous  
Metallic  

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2  
99+
-  

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7  
2.0  

Transparency
Translucent  
Opaque  

Density
2.6 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.24 kJ/Kg K  
31

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia  
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea  

Africa
Kenya  
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa  

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey  
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru  
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Obsidian vs Gossan 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 Gossan 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. Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.. 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 Gossan information and Obsidian vs Gossan characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Obsidian and Gossan

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Gossan. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Gossan consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Gossan includes Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Gossan, 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, Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Gossan is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Gossan. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Gossan is 4-5. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan. 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 Gossan is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Gossan is 0.24 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 Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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