Ignimbrite

Chert

Ignimbrite and Chert

Ignimbrite

Chert

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Definition

Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows

Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture

History

Origin

New Zealand

Discoverer

Patrick Marshall

Unknown

Etymology

From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite

From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic

Banded, Rough

Color

Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

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

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms

Types

Pyroclastic rock

Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter

Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.

Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.

Composition

Mineral Content

Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz

Quartz, Silicon

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl

Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

4-66.5-7

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Uneven

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

243.80 N/mm²450.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.732.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

1-1.8 g/cm³2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.20 kJ/Kg K0.74 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

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

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

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

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Others

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador

Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Ignimbrite and Chert Properties

Know all about Ignimbrite and Chert properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Ignimbrite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Chert belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Ignimbrite is Aphanitic whereas that of Chert is Banded, Rough. Ignimbrite appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and Chert appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Ignimbrite is vitreous to dull while that of Chert is waxy and dull. Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Ignimbrite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Chert are creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.