Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Origin
North America
Germany
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Van Tooren
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Landscaping
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Igneous rock
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
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.
Tephrite 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
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
-
Crenulation and Pervasive
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Namibia, Uganda
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Rhyolite vs Tephrite 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 Tephrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Tephrite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Tephrite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Tephrite, 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 Tephrite include Landscaping.
More about Rhyolite and Tephrite
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Tephrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Tephrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Tephrite, 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, Tephrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Tephrite is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Tephrite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Tephrite is 6.5. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Tephrite are Igneous 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 Tephrite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Tephrite 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 Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant.