Definition
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Origin
Germany
North America
Discoverer
Van Tooren
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Etymology
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Grey, White, Light Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Landscaping
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, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Types
Not Available
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
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.
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
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Sub-conchoidal
Streak
Bluish Black
Colorless
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Earthy
Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.65-2.67
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
China, India
Africa
Namibia, Uganda
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Tephrite 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. Tephrite vs Rhyolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tephrite and Properties of Rhyolite. Learn more about Tephrite vs Rhyolite in the next section. The interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Tephrite and Rhyolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tephrite in construction industry include Landscaping and that of Rhyolite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives.
More about Tephrite and Rhyolite
Here you can know more about Tephrite and Rhyolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tephrite and Rhyolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Tephrite vs Rhyolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tephrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas, Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. Appearance of Tephrite is Vesicular and that of Rhyolite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tephrite vs Rhyolite. The hardness of Tephrite is 6.5 and that of Rhyolite is 6-7. The types of Tephrite 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 Tephrite is bluish black while that of Rhyolite is colorless. The specific heat capacity of Tephrite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K 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.Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.