Rhyolite

Obsidian

Rhyolite vs Obsidian

Rhyolite

Obsidian

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

North America

Ethiopia

1.2.2 Discoverer

Ferdinand von Richthofen

Obsius

1.3 Etymology

From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic

Glassy

2.2 Color

Grey, White, Light Black

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Banded

Shiny

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings

Garden Decoration

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Not Yet Used

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Surgery

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Jewellery

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

4 Types

4.1 Types

Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

4.2 Features

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Not Yet Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Not Applicable

4.3.3 Sculpture

Not Yet Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Not Applicable

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Not Yet Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 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.

When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Not Available

5.2.2 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

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

6-75-5.5

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Not Applicable

6.1.3 Fracture

Sub-conchoidal

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

Colorless

White

6.1.5 Porosity

Highly Porous

Very Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Earthy

Vitreous

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

140.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Not Available

Non-Existent

6.1.9 Toughness

Not Available

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.65-2.672.6-2.7

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

6.1.12 Density

2.4-2.6 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

NA0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

China, India

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Kenya

7.1.3 Europe

Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

7.2.2 South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

New Zealand

Rhyolite vs Obsidian Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Rhyolite and Obsidian Reserves. Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Rhyolite vs Obsidian information and Rhyolite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Rhyolite vs Obsidian 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 Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Obsidian, 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 Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Rhyolite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Obsidian, 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, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. 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 Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is Not Available and that of Obsidian is 0.92 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 Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.