Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Granodiorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock containing quartz and plagioclase, and which has composition in between granite and diorite
Origin
North America
Unknown
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Unknown
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From granite + diorite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Granular, Phaneritic
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, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
As Dimension Stone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Not Available
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
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.
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, 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, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Not Available
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
2
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Rhyolite vs Granodiorite 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 Granodiorite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Granodiorite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Granodiorite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Granodiorite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Granodiorite, 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 Granodiorite include As dimension stone.
More about Rhyolite and Granodiorite
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Granodiorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Granodiorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Granodiorite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Granodiorite, 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, Granodiorite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Granodiorite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Granodiorite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Granodiorite is 6. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Granodiorite are Not Available. 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 Granodiorite is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is Not Available and that of Granodiorite is 0.79 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 Granodiorite is heat resistant, wear resistant.