Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
  
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin
  
History
  
  
Origin
North America
  
USA, Australia
  
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
  
Tornebohm
  
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
  
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
  
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough
  
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
  
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Banded
  
Dull
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
  
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Gold and Silver production, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Applicable
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
  
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
  
Endoskarns
  
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
  
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
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.
  
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Skarn is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite
  
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
  
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Not Applicable
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
6.5
  
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
  
Irregular
  
Streak
Colorless
  
Light to dark brown
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Earthy
  
Waxy and Dull
  
Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm
2
  
15
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Slaty
  
Toughness
2
  
2.4
  
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
  
2.86
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India
  
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
  
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
South Africa, Western Africa
  
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
  
United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada
  
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
  
Central Australia, Western Australia