Rhyolite Vs Granite

Rhyolite is the felsic igneous rock with fine grained size.

Rhyolite vs granite.

Appearance of granite is veined or pebbled and that of rhyolite is banded. In most rhyolites however it is sanidine not infrequently rich in soda. They have very similar compositions but one is erupted onto earth s surface and the other crystallises at depth. Properties of rock is another aspect for granite vs rhyolite.

Due to their high content of silica and low iron and magnesium contents rhyolitic magmas form highly viscous lavas. Hardness of granite and rhyolite is 6 7. Certain differences between rhyolite and granite are noteworthy. Muscovite a common mineral in granite occurs very rarely and only as an alteration product in rhyolite.

A great excess of potassium over sodium uncommon in granite except as a consequence of hydrothermal alteration is not uncommon in rhyolites. Rhyolite can be considered as the extrusive equivalent to the plutonic granite rock and consequently outcrops of rhyolite may bear a resemblance to granite. The difference is that granite sits on the plutonic diagram and rhyolite sits on the volcanic diagram. Granite is available in black grey orange pink white colors whereas rhyolite is available in grey white light black colors.

Whereas granite is the equivalent in composition but with coarse grained size. The difference is the size of grains. So they have a similar composition but one is volcanic and the other is plutonic.