Home
Compare Rocks


Rhyolite vs Obsidian


Obsidian vs Rhyolite


Definition

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   

History
  
  

Origin
North America   
Ethiopia   

Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen   
Obsius   

Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone   
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic   
Glassy   

Color
Grey, White, Light Black   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Banded   
Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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   
Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

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   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Surgery   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Jewellery   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry   
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.   
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian   

Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors   
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   
Not Available   

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   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
5-5.5   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Not Applicable   

Fracture
Sub-conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Colorless   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2   
15
0.15 N/mm2   
33

Cleavage
Not Available   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
2   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

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

Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   
New Zealand   

Definition >>
<< All

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.

Compare Igneous Rocks

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.

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks