Home
Compare Rocks


Obsidian vs Mudstone


Mudstone vs Obsidian


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
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

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
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5  
2-3  

Grain Size
-  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
-  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Vitreous  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2  
99+
25.00 N/mm2  
99+

Cleavage
-  
Perfect  

Toughness
-  
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  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.39 kJ/Kg K  
30

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  

Definition >>
<< All

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.

Compare Igneous Rocks

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.

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks