Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Origin
North America
Germany
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Christian Leopold von Buch
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
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
Phaneritic
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded
Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
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, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Smooth to touch
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.
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
India, Russia
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
Rhyolite vs Gabbro 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 Gabbro characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Gabbro. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Gabbro in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Gabbro, 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 Gabbro include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Rhyolite and Gabbro
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Gabbro. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Gabbro consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Gabbro, 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, Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Gabbro. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Gabbro is 7. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Gabbro are Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro. 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 Gabbro is black. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Gabbro is 0.71 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 Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.