Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Charnockite is a variety of granite containing minerals like orthopyroxene, quartz, and feldspar
Origin
North America
Tamil Nadu, India
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
T. H. Holland
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From Job Charnock, an administtrator of East India Company
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Granular
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
As Dimension Stone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Enderbite
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
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.
Charnockite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard and is formed due to weathering of existing rocks.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
-
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
-9999
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
East Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Albania, Romania, Scotland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Rhyolite vs Charnockite 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 Charnockite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Charnockite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Charnockite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Charnockite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Charnockite, 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 Charnockite include As dimension stone.
More about Rhyolite and Charnockite
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Charnockite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Charnockite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Charnockite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Charnockite, 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, Charnockite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Charnockite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Charnockite. Hardness of Rhyolite and Charnockite is 6-7. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Charnockite are Enderbite. 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 Charnockite is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Charnockite 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 Charnockite is heat resistant, wear resistant.