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Rhyolite
Rhyolite

Shoshonite
Shoshonite



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Rhyolite vs Shoshonite

Definition

Definition

Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Shoshonite is a basaltic rock, properly a potassic trachyandesite, composed of olivine, augite and plagioclase phenocrysts in a groundmass with calcic plagioclase and sanidine and some dark-colored volcanic glass

History

Origin

North America
Wyoming,USA

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Richthofen
Iddings

Etymology

From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming

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
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Porphyritic

Color

Grey, White, Light Black
Brown- Black, Dark Brown

Maintenance

More
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Banded
Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts
Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Intermediate volcanic rock

Features

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

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-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

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.
Shoshonite 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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Pyroxene

Compound Content

Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Sub-conchoidal
Uneven

Streak

-
White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Earthy
Dull

Compressive Strength

140.00 N/mm2175.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

2
1.6

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.672.98
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.4-2.6 g/cm32.9-3 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K0.79 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India
India, Russia

Africa

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

Europe

Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Iceland

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada, USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
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Rhyolite vs Shoshonite 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 Shoshonite Reserves. Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica. Shoshonite is a basaltic rock, properly a potassic trachyandesite, composed of olivine, augite and plagioclase phenocrysts in a groundmass with calcic plagioclase and sanidine and some dark-colored volcanic glass. 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 Shoshonite information and Rhyolite vs Shoshonite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Rhyolite vs Shoshonite 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 Shoshonite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Shoshonite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Shoshonite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Shoshonite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Shoshonite, 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 Shoshonite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Rhyolite and Shoshonite

Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Shoshonite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Shoshonite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Shoshonite includes Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Shoshonite, 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, Shoshonite is available in brown- black, dark brown colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Shoshonite is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Shoshonite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Shoshonite is 6. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Shoshonite are Intermediate volcanic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Rhyolite is while that of Shoshonite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Shoshonite is 0.79 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 Shoshonite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.