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
Pantellerite is a peralkaline rhyolite. It has a higher iron and lower aluminium composition than comendite
Origin
Ethiopia
Strait of sicily
Discoverer
Obsius
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From Pantelleria, a volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Shiny
Layered and Foliated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
NA
Medical Industry
Surgery
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork
Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Pantelleritic Ignimbrite
Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
High Fe content
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet 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.
Pantellerite 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
Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Al, Fe
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Not Applicable
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Sub-conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Conchoidal
Toughness
Not Available
2
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
Not Available
Transparency
Translucent
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, India
Africa
Kenya
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
Central Australia, Queensland, Western Australia
Obsidian vs Pantellerite 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 Pantellerite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Pantellerite. Learn more about Obsidian vs Pantellerite in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pantellerite include Not yet used. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Pantellerite, 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 Pantellerite include Na.
More about Obsidian and Pantellerite
Here you can know more about Obsidian and Pantellerite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Pantellerite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Pantellerite includes Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Pantellerite, 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, Pantellerite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Pantellerite is Layered and Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Pantellerite. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Pantellerite is 6-7. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Pantellerite are Pantelleritic Ignimbrite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian is white while that of Pantellerite is unknown. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Pantellerite 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 Pantellerite is heat resistant.