Granophyre and Tuff

Granophyre

Tuff

Definition

Granophyre is a type of granitic rock which consists of intergrown feldspar and quartz crystals in a medium to fine grained groundmass

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

History

Origin

Unknown

Italy

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From German Granophyr, from Granit granite + Porphyr

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

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granophyric

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Color

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Maintenance

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

Other Architectural Uses

Not Yet Used

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones

Creating Artwork

Types

Not Available

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

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock

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

Not Used

Used

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Granophyre is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.

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

Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz

Calcite, Chlorite

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

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

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

4-6

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Not Available

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous

Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²

243.80 N/mm²

Cleavage

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.7

2.73

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.6-2.8 g/cm³

1-1.8 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.79 kJ/Kg K

0.20 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

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

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

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

Europe

Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela

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

Others

Not Yet Found

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

South America

Not Yet Found

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

Central Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Granophyre and Tuff Properties

Know all about Granophyre and Tuff properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granophyre and Tuff belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Granophyre is Granophyric whereas that of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic. Granophyre appears Veined or Pebbled and Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Granophyre is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous while that of Tuff is vitreous to dull. Granophyre is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Granophyre are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones and that of Tuff are creating artwork.