Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
History
Origin
North America
-
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Unknown
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Foliated, Glassy
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Banded
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Features
Acidic in nature, 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
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.
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.
Composition
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-75-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
-
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Pearly to Subvitreous
Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2180.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
2
-
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.672.62-2.82
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm32.7-4 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, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
-
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
-
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Bolivia, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia