Rhyolite

Adakite

Rhyolite vs Adakite

Rhyolite

Adakite

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Definition

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

Adakite is an intermediate to felsic volcanic rock that has geochemical characteristics of magma which is said to be formed by partial melting of altered basalt that is subducted below volcanic arcs

History

Origin

North America

Adak, Aleutian Islands

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Richthofen

Defant and Drummond

Etymology

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

From Adak, Aleutian Islands

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic

Porphyritic

Color

Grey, White, Light Black

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Banded

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

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

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry

Commemorative Tablets, Pottery, Used in aquariums

Types

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

Intermediate volcanic rock

Features

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Host rock for Diamond, Very fine grained 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.

Adakite rocks are formed when the hydrous fluids are released from minerals that break down in metamorphosed basalt, and rise into the mantle they initiate partial melting.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-73-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Sub-conchoidal

Conchoidal

Streak

Bluish Black

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Earthy

Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous

Compressive Strength

140.00 N/mm²200.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.67-9999

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.4-2.6 g/cm³-9999 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, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India

India, Russia

Africa

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

Ethiopia, Somalia, South Africa

Europe

Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain

Iceland

Others

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

Rhyolite vs Adakite 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 Rhyolite and Adakite Reserves. Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica. Adakite is an intermediate to felsic volcanic rock that has geochemical characteristics of magma which is said to be formed by partial melting of altered basalt that is subducted below volcanic arcs. 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 Rhyolite vs Adakite information and Rhyolite vs Adakite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Rhyolite vs Adakite 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. Rhyolite vs Adakite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Adakite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Adakite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Adakite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Adakite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Rhyolite in construction industry include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives and that of Adakite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Rhyolite and Adakite

Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Adakite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Adakite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Adakite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Adakite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors whereas, Adakite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Adakite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Adakite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Adakite is 3-4. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Adakite are Intermediate volcanic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Rhyolite is while that of Adakite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Adakite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Adakite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.