Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Greywacke is defined as a dark coarse-grained sandstone rock which contains more than 15 per cent clay
History
Origin
North America
-
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Unknown
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From German Grauwacke, from grau grey + wacke
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Clastic
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Banded
Dull
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Flooring, 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, Whetstones
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
As armour rock for sea walls, Petroleum reservoirs, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Greywacke
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Non-vesicular, Veined
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
Graywacke rock is a type of sedimentary rock, which is also known as immature sandstone, which is indurated, dark grey and consisting of poorly sorted angular to sub-angular, sand-sized grains.
Composition
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-76-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Angular and Fine
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
-
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Earthy
Dull
Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2120.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Perfect
Toughness
2
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.672.2-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm32.6-2.61 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.71 kJ/Kg K0.71 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
-
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand