×

Variolite
Variolite

Obsidian
Obsidian



ADD
Compare
X
Variolite
X
Obsidian

Variolite vs Obsidian

Definition

Definition

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance
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

France
Ethiopia

Discoverer

Unknown
Obsius

Etymology

From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
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

Volcanic
Volcanic

Other Categories

Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Glassy

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
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 and Soft
Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
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

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Types

Types

Metamorphic 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

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.
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

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
-

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, 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, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

65-5.5
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

-
-

Fracture

Conchoidal
Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Very Less Porous

Luster

-
Vitreous

Compressive Strength

37.50 N/mm20.15 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

2.3
-

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.6-2.7
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm32.6 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear 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

Variolite 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 Variolite and Obsidian Reserves. Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance. 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 Variolite vs Obsidian information and Variolite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Variolite 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. Variolite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Variolite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Variolite 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 Variolite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Variolite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Obsidian includes . You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic 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 Variolite is white to grey while that of Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 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.Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.