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
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock
Origin
Ethiopia
New Zealand
Discoverer
Obsius
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From German which means hornstone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy
Granular, Platy
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Surgery
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Biotite hornfels
Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Not Available
Andalusite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Fe, Mg
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Not Applicable
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
Not Yet Found
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
3.4-3.9
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Africa
Kenya
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Obsidian vs Hornfels 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 Hornfels characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Hornfels. Learn more about Obsidian vs Hornfels in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Hornfels, 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 Hornfels include For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Obsidian and Hornfels
Here you can know more about Obsidian and Hornfels. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Hornfels consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Hornfels, 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, Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Hornfels is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Hornfels. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Hornfels is 2-3. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels. 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 Hornfels is unknown. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Hornfels 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 Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.