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Ignimbrite and Chert


Chert and Ignimbrite


Definition

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   
Unknown   

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   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic   
Banded, Rough   

Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White   
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

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   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate   
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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

Types
Not Available   
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
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

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
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   
Chemical Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
4-6   
6.5-7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Vitreous to Dull   
Waxy and Dull   

Compressive Strength
243.80 N/mm2   
5
450.00 N/mm2   
1

Cleavage
Not Available   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.73   
2.5-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
1-1.8 g/cm3   
2.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.20 kJ/Kg K   
25
0.74 kJ/Kg K   
19

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
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   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

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.

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