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Rhyolite and Schist


Schist and Rhyolite


Definition

Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica   
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation   

History
  
  

Origin
North America   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen   
Unknown   

Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone   
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic   
Foliated, Platy   

Color
Grey, White, Light Black   
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Banded   
Layered and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings   
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry   
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates   

Types

Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.   
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.   

Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors   
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch   

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
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.   
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc   

Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
3.5-4   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Sub-conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Colorless   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Shiny   

Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2   
15
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Slaty   

Toughness
2   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67   
2.5-2.9   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India   
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain   
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Rhyolite and Schist Properties

Know all about Rhyolite and Schist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Rhyolite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Schist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Rhyolite is Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic whereas that of Schist is Foliated, Platy. Rhyolite appears Banded and Schist appears Layered and Shiny. The luster of Rhyolite is earthy while that of Schist is shiny. Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors whereas Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. The commercial uses of Rhyolite are gemstone, laboratory bench tops, jewelry and that of Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates.

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