Whiteschist

Obsidian

Whiteschist and Obsidian

Whiteschist

Obsidian

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Definition

Whiteschist is an uncommon rock type belonging to a class of metamorphic rock, this is formed at high-ultra-high pressures

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

Tasmania

Ethiopia

Discoverer

Unknown

Obsius

Etymology

From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated

Glassy

Color

Green, Grey, White

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Banded and Foilated

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

for Road Aggregate

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Production of Lime

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

Types

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

Features

High percentage of mica, Host Rock for Lead

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Whiteschist is formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.

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

Carbonate, Coesite, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

CaO, Mg, MgO, Silicon 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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1.55-5.5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

200.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.862.6-2.7

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa

Kenya

Europe

Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Guyana

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland

New Zealand

All about Whiteschist and Obsidian Properties

Know all about Whiteschist and Obsidian properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Whiteschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Obsidian belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Whiteschist is Foliated whereas that of Obsidian is Glassy. Whiteschist appears Banded and Foilated and Obsidian appears Shiny. The luster of Whiteschist is subvitreous to dull while that of Obsidian is vitreous. Whiteschist is available in green, grey, white colors whereas Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Whiteschist are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, production of lime and that of Obsidian are creating artwork, mirror, used in aquariums.