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
Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime
Discoverer
Obsius
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From Old French marle, from Late Latin marglia
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary 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
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Beige, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Shiny
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Surgery
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner
Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl
Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Figurines
Not Yet Used
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.
Marl forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settles at the bottom of water bodies and are compacted by overlying sediment; the water squeezes out and hence forming Marl rock.
Mineral Content
Not Available
Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Not Applicable
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
India, Pakistan, Russia
Africa
Kenya
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia
Obsidian vs Marl 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 Marl characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Marl. Learn more about Obsidian vs Marl in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Marl include Decorative aggregates and Floor tiles. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Marl, 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 Marl include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Obsidian and Marl
Here you can know more about Obsidian and Marl. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Marl consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Marl includes Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Marl, 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, Marl is available in beige, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Marl is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Marl. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Marl is 2-3. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Marl are Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Marl is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Marl 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 Marl is heat resistant, impact resistant.