Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
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
Discoverer
Unknown
Obsius
Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
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
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Dark Brown
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Surgery
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Tachylite 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.
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Olivine
Not Available
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Not Applicable
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.4
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
3.058 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Hawaii Islands
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Victoria
New Zealand
Tachylite 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. Tachylite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tachylite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Tachylite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tachylite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tachylite in construction industry include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.
More about Tachylite and Obsidian
Here you can know more about Tachylite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tachylite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tachylite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Tachylite is Glassy and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tachylite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Tachylite is 5.5 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Tachylite are Not Available 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 Tachylite is vermilion while that of Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Tachylite is 0.56 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.Tachylite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.