Definition
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition
History
Origin
-
Discoverer
Unknown
Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Surgery
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry
Types
Igneous rock
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Absent
Formation
Felsite 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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Iron Oxides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
99% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
92% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5-5.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2
Rank: 49 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
-
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent
Density
2.6 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 10 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Kenya
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand