Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture
Origin
North America
Unknown
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Unknown
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Banded, Rough
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded
Glassy or Pearly
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, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Quartz, Silicon
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Earthy
Waxy and Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
2.7 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Rhyolite vs Chert 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 Chert characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Chert. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Chert in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Chert, 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 Chert include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Rhyolite and Chert
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Chert. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Chert consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Chert, 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, Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Chert is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Chert. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Chert is 6.5-7. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Rhyolite is colorless while that of Chert is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is Not Available and that of Chert is 0.74 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 Chert is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.