Rhyolite

Sovite

Rhyolite and Sovite

Rhyolite

Sovite

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Definition

Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica

Sovite is a coarse-grained variety of carbonatite which belongs to intrusive igneous rock

History

Origin

North America

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Richthofen

Unknown

Etymology

From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic

Granular, Poikiloblastic

Color

Grey, White, Light Black

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Banded

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

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, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.

Carbonatite

Features

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors

Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

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.

Sovites are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite

Compound Content

Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-73

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Sub-conchoidal

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Earthy

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

140.00 N/mm²195.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.672.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.4-2.6 g/cm³2.84-2.86 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan

Africa

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

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand

All about Rhyolite and Sovite Properties

Know all about Rhyolite and Sovite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Rhyolite and Sovite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Rhyolite is Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic whereas that of Sovite is Granular, Poikiloblastic. Rhyolite appears Banded and Sovite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Rhyolite is earthy while that of Sovite is subvitreous to dull. Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors whereas Sovite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Rhyolite are gemstone, laboratory bench tops, jewelry and that of Sovite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, creating artwork, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).