Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek di + base
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Granular
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.
Features
Smooth to touch
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.
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.
Mineral Content
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Calcite, Chlorite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Not Available
Vitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
1.6
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
1-1.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
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
South Africa, Tanzania
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Diabase vs Tuff Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Diabase vs Tuff characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diabase and Properties of Tuff. Learn more about Diabase vs Tuff in the next section. The interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diabase and Tuff, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diabase in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Tuff include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Diabase and Tuff
Here you can know more about Diabase and Tuff. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diabase and Tuff consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine and mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diabase vs Tuff, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. Appearance of Diabase is Vesicular and that of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diabase vs Tuff. The hardness of Diabase is 7 and that of Tuff is 4-6. The types of Diabase are Not Available whereas types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diabase is black while that of Tuff is white. The specific heat capacity of Diabase is Not Available and that of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Tuff is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.