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Tonalite vs Obsidian


Obsidian vs Tonalite


Definition

Definition
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture   
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
Tonale, Italy   
Ethiopia   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Obsius   

Etymology
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1   
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Phaneritic   
Glassy   

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Banded and Foilated   
Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Surgery   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Jewellery   

Other Uses
  
  

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

Types

Types
Dacite   
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.   
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression   

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   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.   
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
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon   
Not Available   

Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
5-5.5   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Not Applicable   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Bluish Black   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
0.15 N/mm2   
33

Cleavage
Not Available   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
2.1   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.86-3   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
2.73 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

Africa
Egypt   
Kenya   

Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru   
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia   
New Zealand   

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Tonalite 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 Tonalite and Obsidian Reserves. Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture. 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 Tonalite vs Obsidian information and Tonalite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Tonalite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Tonalite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tonalite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tonalite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tonalite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Tonalite is 6-7 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Tonalite are Dacite 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 Tonalite is bluish black while that of Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Tonalite is 0.92 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.Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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