Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
  
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite
  
History
  
  
Origin
North America
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
  
From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Volcanic
  
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
  
Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Banded
  
Rounded and Rough
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
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
  
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
  
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Used in aquariums
  
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
  
Not Available
  
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
  
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
  
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
  
Present
  
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.
  
Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.
  
Composition
  
  
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, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Not Applicable
  
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
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
3-4
  
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
Colorless
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Earthy
  
Pearly to Shiny
  
Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm
2
  
15
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
2
  
1
  
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
  
Not Available
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
  
Not Available
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Wear 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 Oolite 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 Oolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Oolite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Oolite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Oolite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Oolite, 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 Oolite include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping.
More about Rhyolite and Oolite
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Oolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Oolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Oolite 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 Oolite, 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, Oolite is available in black, blue, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Oolite is Rounded and Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Oolite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Oolite is 3-4. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Oolite 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 Oolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is Not Available and that of Oolite 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 Oolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.