Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Hawaiite is volcanic rock that resembles basalt. It is an olivine basalt with intermediate composition between alkali olivine and mugearite
Origin
North America
Hawaii Islands
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Joseph Iddings
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From Hawaii Islands
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving 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
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Creating Artwork, Sea Defence
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Not Available
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
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.
Hawaiite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes and reach the Earth's surface.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
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
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Not Applicable
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Colorless
Not Available
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Applicable
Toughness
2
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat 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
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Hawaii Islands
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
Not Yet Found
Rhyolite vs Hawaiite 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 Hawaiite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Hawaiite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Hawaiite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Hawaiite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Hawaiite, 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 Hawaiite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Rhyolite and Hawaiite
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Hawaiite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Hawaiite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Hawaiite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Hawaiite, 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, Hawaiite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Hawaiite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Hawaiite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Hawaiite is 6. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Hawaiite 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 Hawaiite is not available. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is Not Available and that of Hawaiite is Not Available. 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 Hawaiite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.
