Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
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 Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined and Shiny
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
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
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
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
Data Not Available
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
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
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, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
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
Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse 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
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
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
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
Greenland
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
Central Australia, Western Australia
Gabbro 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. Gabbro vs Tuff characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Tuff. Learn more about Gabbro vs Tuff in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Tuff, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gabbro 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 Gabbro and Tuff
Here you can know more about Gabbro and Tuff. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Tuff consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Tuff, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Tuff. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Tuff is 4-6. The types of Gabbro 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 Gabbro is black while that of Tuff is white. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro 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.Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Tuff is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.