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Obsidian
Obsidian

Icelandite
Icelandite



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Obsidian
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Icelandite

Obsidian vs Icelandite

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
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock

History

Origin

Ethiopia
Iceland

Discoverer

Obsius
Ian S. E. Carmichael

Etymology

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland

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, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Glassy
Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Shiny
Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Surgery
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Intermediate volcanic rock

Features

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock

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.
Icelandite 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

-
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.57
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

-
Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Uneven

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Vitreous

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm2200.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
1.1

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.5-2.8
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm32.11-2.36 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K2.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea

Africa

Kenya
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Obsidian vs Icelandite 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 Icelandite 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. Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock. 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 Icelandite information and Obsidian vs Icelandite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Obsidian vs Icelandite 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 Icelandite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Icelandite. Learn more about Obsidian vs Icelandite in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Icelandite, 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 Icelandite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Obsidian and Icelandite

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Icelandite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Icelandite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Icelandite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Icelandite, 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, Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Icelandite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Icelandite. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Icelandite is 7. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Icelandite are Intermediate volcanic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Icelandite is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Icelandite is 2.39 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 Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.