Rhyolite

Andesite

Rhyolite vs Andesite

Rhyolite

Andesite

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Definition

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

Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava

History

Origin

North America

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Richthofen

Theodor von Gümbel

Etymology

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

From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Grey, White, Light Black

Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow

Maintenance

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, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

Office Buildings, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

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

Icelandite

Features

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors

Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Middle of the Earth in Ecuador

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.

Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon

Compound Content

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

Silicon Dioxide

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-77

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Sub-conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Earthy

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

140.00 N/mm²225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.1

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.672.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.4-2.6 g/cm³2.11-2.36 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K2.39 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, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea

Africa

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

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain

Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Mexico, USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Rhyolite vs Andesite 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 Andesite Reserves. Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. 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 Andesite information and Rhyolite vs Andesite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Rhyolite vs Andesite 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 Andesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Andesite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Andesite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Andesite, 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 Andesite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Rhyolite and Andesite

Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Andesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Andesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Andesite, 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, Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Andesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Andesite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Andesite is 7. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Andesite are Icelandite. 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 Andesite is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Andesite is 2.39 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 Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.