Definition
Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Origin
Unknown
North America
Discoverer
Unknown
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Etymology
From late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vesicular
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red
Grey, White, Light Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy and Vesicular
Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Types
Not Available
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Surfaces are often shiny
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Sub-conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Earthy
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.65-2.67
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, India
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Scoria vs Rhyolite 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. Scoria vs Rhyolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Scoria and Properties of Rhyolite. Learn more about Scoria vs Rhyolite in the next section. The interior uses of Scoria include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Scoria and Rhyolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Scoria in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works and that of Rhyolite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives.
More about Scoria and Rhyolite
Here you can know more about Scoria and Rhyolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Scoria and Rhyolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Scoria includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Scoria vs Rhyolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Scoria is available in black, brown, dark grey to black, red colors whereas, Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. Appearance of Scoria is Glassy and Vesicular and that of Rhyolite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Scoria vs Rhyolite. The hardness of Scoria is 5-6 and that of Rhyolite is 6-7. The types of Scoria are Not Available whereas types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Scoria is white while that of Rhyolite is colorless. The specific heat capacity of Scoria is Not Available and that of Rhyolite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Scoria is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.