Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate
Origin
North America
New Zealand
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Belsazar Hacquet
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From lime and stone in late 14th Century
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded
Rough and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing 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
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India
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.
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Splintery
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Dull to Pearly
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
2.3-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
2.3-2.7 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Rhyolite vs Limestone 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 Limestone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Limestone. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Limestone in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Limestone, 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 Limestone include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium.
More about Rhyolite and Limestone
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Limestone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Limestone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Limestone, 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, Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Limestone is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Limestone. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Limestone is 3-4. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa. 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 Limestone is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is Not Available and that of Limestone is 0.91 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 Limestone is pressure resistant.