Conglomerate and Tuff

Conglomerate

Tuff

Definition

Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock which forms from rounded gravel and boulder sized clasts which are cemented together in a matrix

Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption

History

Origin

Italy

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Latin conglomeratus, to roll together, i.e. from com together + glomerare to gather into a ball, from glomus (genitive glomeris) a ball

From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Color

Beige, Black, Brown, Buff, Light to Dark Grey, Orange, Rust, White, Yellow

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Maintenance

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Shiny and Rounded

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Roof Tiles

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, In aquifers, Tombstones

Creating Artwork

Types

Not Available

Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

Conglomerate forms where sediments consisting mainly of pebble and cobble-size clasts at least two millimeters in diameter starts accumulating.

Tuff is formed when large masses of ash and sand which are mixed with hot gases are ejected by a volcano and avalanche rapidly down its slopes.

Composition

Mineral Content

Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt

Calcite, Chlorite

Compound Content

NaCl, CaO

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Not Applicable

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

2-3

4-6

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

Not Available

243.80 N/mm²

Cleavage

Non-Existent

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.88

2.73

Transparency

Opaque

Density

1.7-2.3 g/cm³

1-1.8 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.20 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen

Africa

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda

Europe

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

South America

Brazil

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand

Central Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Conglomerate and Tuff Properties

Know all about Conglomerate and Tuff properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Conglomerate belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Tuff belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Conglomerate is Clastic whereas that of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic. Conglomerate appears Shiny and Rounded and Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Conglomerate is dull while that of Tuff is vitreous to dull. Conglomerate is available in beige, black, brown, buff, light to dark grey, orange, rust, white, yellow colors whereas Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Conglomerate are cemetery markers, in aquifers, tombstones and that of Tuff are creating artwork.