Definition
Greenschist is a metamorphic rock that is formed under lowest temperatures and pressures and is usually produced by regional metamorphism
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From minerals such as chlorite, serpentine, and epidote, and platy minerals such as muscovite and platy serpentine which are green in color
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Platy
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
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, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Blackboards, Manufacture of tools, Writing Slates
Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Greenschist is medium grade metamorphic rock, formed by the metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, or some types of igneous rock, when it is subjected to higher temperatures and pressures.
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
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Serpentine, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Calcite, Chlorite
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Shiny
Vitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Slaty
Not Available
Toughness
1.5
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
1-1.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, 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
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
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, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Central Australia, Western Australia
Greenschist 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. Greenschist vs Tuff characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Greenschist and Properties of Tuff. Learn more about Greenschist vs Tuff in the next section. The interior uses of Greenschist include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, 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 Greenschist and Tuff, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Greenschist in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Tuff include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Greenschist and Tuff
Here you can know more about Greenschist and Tuff. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Greenschist and Tuff consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Greenschist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Serpentine, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc and mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Greenschist vs Tuff, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Greenschist is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors whereas, Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. Appearance of Greenschist is Layered and Shiny and that of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Greenschist vs Tuff. The hardness of Greenschist is 3.5-4 and that of Tuff is 4-6. The types of Greenschist 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 Greenschist and Tuff is white. The specific heat capacity of Greenschist 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.Greenschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Tuff is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.