Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
  
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
  
History
  
  
Origin
North America
  
Iceland
  
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
  
Ian S. E. Carmichael
  
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
  
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
  
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
  
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
  
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
  
Maintenance
More
  
More
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Banded
  
Dull and Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
  
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
  
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
  
Not Available
  
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
  
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
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.
  
Icelandite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
  
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
  
Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
7
  
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
  
Very fine-grained
  
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
  
Uneven
  
Streak
Colorless
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Earthy
  
Vitreous
  
Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm
2
  
15
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
2
  
1.1
  
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
  
2.5-2.8
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
  
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
2.39 kJ/Kg K
  
2
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India
  
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
  
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
  
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Mexico, USA
  
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
  
Rhyolite vs Icelandite 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 Icelandite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Icelandite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Icelandite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Icelandite, 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 Icelandite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Rhyolite and Icelandite
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Icelandite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Icelandite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Icelandite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Icelandite, 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, Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Icelandite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Icelandite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Icelandite is 7. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Icelandite 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 Icelandite is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is Not Available and that of Icelandite is 2.39 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 Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.