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Obsidian
Obsidian

Mudstone
Mudstone



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Obsidian
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Mudstone

Obsidian vs Mudstone

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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
Mudstone is a fine-grained, dark gray sedimentary rock, which is formed from silt and clay and is similar to shale but has less laminations

History

Origin

Ethiopia
-

Discoverer

Obsius
William Smith

Etymology

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz

Class

Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
-

Other Categories

Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Glassy
Clastic

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Shiny
Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing

Industry

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
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery
Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Pottery

Types

Types

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Marl, Shale and Argillite

Features

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Present

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.
Mudstone forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are buried and compacted by overlying sediment hence forming mudstone.

Composition

Mineral Content

-
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, 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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.52-3
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

-
Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
-

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Dull

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm225.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
Perfect

Toughness

-
2.6

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.2-2.8
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm32.4-2.8 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Kenya
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

Obsidian vs Mudstone 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 Mudstone 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. Mudstone is a fine-grained, dark gray sedimentary rock, which is formed from silt and clay and is similar to shale but has less laminations. 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 Mudstone information and Obsidian vs Mudstone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Obsidian vs Mudstone 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 Mudstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Mudstone. Learn more about Obsidian vs Mudstone in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Mudstone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Mudstone, 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 Mudstone include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.

More about Obsidian and Mudstone

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Mudstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Mudstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Mudstone includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Mudstone, 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, Mudstone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Mudstone is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Mudstone. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Mudstone is 2-3. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Mudstone are Marl, Shale and Argillite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Mudstone is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Mudstone is 0.39 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 Mudstone is heat resistant, impact resistant.