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Serpentinite
Serpentinite

Obsidian
Obsidian



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Serpentinite
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Obsidian

Serpentinite vs Obsidian

Definition

Definition

A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth

History

Origin

USA
Ethiopia

Discoverer

Unknown
Obsius

Etymology

From English word serpentinization.
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

Class

Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Earthy
Glassy

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Dull
Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
-

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Medical Industry

-
Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

Types

Types

Jadeitite
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

Features

Host Rock for Lead
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

Formation

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.

Composition

Mineral Content

Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides
-

Compound Content

Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
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, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-55-5.5
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained
-

Fracture

Uneven
Conchoidal

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Very Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull
Vitreous

Compressive Strength

310.00 N/mm20.15 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

7
-

Specific Gravity

2.79-32.6-2.7
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent

Density

2.5-3 g/cm32.6 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.95 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Ethiopia, Western Africa
Kenya

Europe

England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada
Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Colombia
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand

Serpentinite vs Obsidian 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 Serpentinite and Obsidian Reserves. A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. 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 Serpentinite vs Obsidian information and Serpentinite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Serpentinite vs Obsidian 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. Serpentinite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Serpentinite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Serpentinite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Serpentinite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Serpentinite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Serpentinite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Serpentinite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Serpentinite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Serpentinite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Serpentinite includes Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides and mineral content of Obsidian includes . You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Serpentinite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Serpentinite is Rough and Dull and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Serpentinite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Serpentinite is 3-5 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Serpentinite are Jadeitite whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Serpentinite and Obsidian is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Serpentinite is 0.95 kJ/Kg K and that of Obsidian 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.Serpentinite is heat resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.