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Rhyolite
Rhyolite

Syenite
Syenite



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Rhyolite
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Rhyolite vs Syenite

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Definition

Definition

Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Syenite is a coarse-grained igneous rock which is composed mainly of alkali feldspar and various ferromagnesian minerals

History

Origin

North America
-

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Richthofen
Unknown

Etymology

From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From French syénite, from Latin Syenites (lapis ) (stone) of Syene

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
Plutonic

Other Categories

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

Texture

Texture

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Earthy

Color

Grey, White, Light Black
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

More
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Banded
Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Exterior Uses

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

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, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Types

Types

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

Features

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable

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.
Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

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

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-75.5-6
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Sub-conchoidal
-

Streak

-
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Earthy
Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

140.00 N/mm2150.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
Perfect

Toughness

2
-

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.672.6-2.7
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.4-2.6 g/cm32.6-2.8 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

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

Europe

Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Rhyolite vs Syenite 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 Syenite Reserves. Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica. Syenite is a coarse-grained igneous rock which is composed mainly of alkali feldspar and various ferromagnesian minerals. 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 Syenite information and Rhyolite vs Syenite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Rhyolite vs Syenite 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 Syenite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Syenite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Syenite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Syenite include Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Syenite, 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 Syenite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Rhyolite and Syenite

Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Syenite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Syenite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Syenite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Syenite, 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, Syenite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Syenite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Syenite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Syenite is 5.5-6. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Syenite are Shonkinite. 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 Syenite is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Syenite 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 Syenite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.