Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Pantellerite is a peralkaline rhyolite. It has a higher iron and lower aluminium composition than comendite
Origin
North America
Strait of sicily
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Unknown
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From Pantelleria, a volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Eutaxitic
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded
Layered and Foliated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
NA
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Creating Artwork
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Pantelleritic Ignimbrite
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
High Fe content
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
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet 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.
Pantellerite 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.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Al, Fe
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Sub-conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Conchoidal
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
China, India
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Central Australia, Queensland, Western Australia
Rhyolite vs Pantellerite 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 Pantellerite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Pantellerite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Pantellerite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Pantellerite include Not yet used. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Pantellerite, 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 Pantellerite include Na.
More about Rhyolite and Pantellerite
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Pantellerite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Pantellerite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Pantellerite includes Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Pantellerite, 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, Pantellerite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Pantellerite is Layered and Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Pantellerite. Hardness of Rhyolite and Pantellerite is 6-7. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Pantellerite are Pantelleritic Ignimbrite. 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 Pantellerite is unknown. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is Not Available and that of Pantellerite 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 Pantellerite is heat resistant.
