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
Monzonite is a granular igneous rock with composition between syenite and diorite and containing approximately equal amounts of orthoclase and plagioclase
Origin
Ethiopia
Trento Province, Italy
Discoverer
Obsius
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From Mount Monzoni in the Tyrol, Italy, + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Surgery
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork
Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Quartz Monzonite, Mangerite, Syenite and Diorite
Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest 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
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
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.
Monzonite 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.
Mineral Content
Not Available
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, 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, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Not Applicable
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.8-3
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.9-2.91 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Kenya
Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Obsidian vs Monzonite 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 Monzonite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Monzonite. Learn more about Obsidian vs Monzonite in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Monzonite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Monzonite, 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 Monzonite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Obsidian and Monzonite
Here you can know more about Obsidian and Monzonite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Monzonite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Monzonite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Monzonite, 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, Monzonite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Monzonite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Monzonite. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Monzonite is 6-7. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Monzonite are Quartz Monzonite, Mangerite, Syenite and Diorite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Monzonite is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Monzonite is 0.92 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 Monzonite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.
