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Obsidian vs Serpentinite


Serpentinite 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  
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
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

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
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5  
3-5  

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/mm2  
99+
310.00 N/mm2  
2

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
7  

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7  
2.79-3  

Transparency
Translucent  
Opaque  

Density
2.6 g/cm3  
2.5-3 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.95 kJ/Kg K  
9

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  

Definition >>
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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.

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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.

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