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Obsidian
Obsidian

Serpentinite
Serpentinite



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Obsidian
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Serpentinite

Obsidian vs Serpentinite

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
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.

History

Origin

Ethiopia
USA

Discoverer

Obsius
Unknown

Etymology

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From English word serpentinization.

Class

Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
-

Other Categories

Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Glassy
Earthy

Color

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

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, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Surgery
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Jadeitite

Features

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

-
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-

Erosion

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.53-5
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

-
Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Uneven

Streak

White
White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm2310.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
7

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.79-3
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm32.5-3 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.95 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea

Africa

Kenya
Ethiopia, Western Africa

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Obsidian vs Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite 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. A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.. 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 Serpentinite information and Obsidian vs Serpentinite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Obsidian vs Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Serpentinite. Learn more about Obsidian vs Serpentinite in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Serpentinite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Serpentinite, 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 Serpentinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.

More about Obsidian and Serpentinite

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Serpentinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Serpentinite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Serpentinite includes Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Serpentinite, 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, Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Serpentinite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Serpentinite. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Serpentinite is 3-5. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Serpentinite are Jadeitite. 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 Serpentinite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Serpentinite is 0.95 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 Serpentinite is heat resistant.