Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
History
Origin
North America
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Maintenance
More
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Appearance
Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
-
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Medical Industry
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Absent
Formation
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Composition
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Streak
-
Porosity
Highly Porous
Luster
Earthy
Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2
Rank: 23 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
2
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.71 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 23 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia