Latest / PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast
How is Obsidian Formed? (GeoShort)
Have you ever heard of obsidian? Mostly likely you have; it is the rock that was commonly used by early humans to make arrowheads and other weapons. Obsidian is a very beautiful rock types, but it's formation is often misunderstood. In this GeoShort, we briefly highlight how obsidian is formed and discuss how unique it is. Obsidian is actually a glass, meaning it has no crystals in it! In fact, obsidian is naturally very unstable at Earth's surface so it breaks down quickly. This means that obsidian is usually a very young rock; no ancient obsidian occurs on Earth!
Obsidian has been used for…
The skinny
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