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Shoshonite
Shoshonite

Obsidian
Obsidian



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Shoshonite
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Obsidian

Shoshonite vs Obsidian

Definition

Definition

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
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

Wyoming,USA
Ethiopia

Discoverer

Iddings
Obsius

Etymology

From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

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

Family

Group

Volcanic
Volcanic

Other Categories

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

Texture

Texture

Porphyritic
Glassy

Color

Brown- Black, Dark Brown
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

Dull
Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
-

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Medical Industry

-
Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

Types

Types

Intermediate volcanic rock
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

Formation

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.
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

Pyroxene
-

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
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
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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

65-5.5
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
-

Fracture

Uneven
Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Very Less Porous

Luster

Dull
Vitreous

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm20.15 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1.6
-

Specific Gravity

2.982.6-2.7
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent

Density

2.9-3 g/cm32.6 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.79 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

South Africa
Kenya

Europe

Iceland
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

-
New Zealand

Shoshonite 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 Shoshonite and Obsidian Reserves. 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. 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 Shoshonite vs Obsidian information and Shoshonite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Shoshonite 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. Shoshonite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shoshonite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Shoshonite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Shoshonite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Shoshonite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Shoshonite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Shoshonite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Shoshonite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shoshonite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Shoshonite includes Pyroxene and mineral content of Obsidian includes . You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Shoshonite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Shoshonite is available in brown- black, dark brown colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Shoshonite is Dull and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shoshonite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Shoshonite is 6 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Shoshonite are Intermediate volcanic rock 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 Shoshonite is white to grey while that of Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Shoshonite is 0.79 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.Shoshonite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.