Home
Compare Rocks


Ignimbrite and Phonolite


Phonolite and Ignimbrite


Definition

Definition
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows   
Phonolite is an uncommon extrusive igneous rock volcanic rock of intermediate chemical composition between felsic and mafic   

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Patrick Marshall   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite   
From the Greek meaning sounding stone because of the metallic sound it produces if an unfractured plate is hit   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic   
Granular   

Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White   
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, 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   
Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Kenyte   

Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust   
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.   
Phonolite are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz   
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
4-6   
5.5-6   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Conchoidal to Uneven   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous to Dull   
Greasy to Dull   

Compressive Strength
243.80 N/mm2   
5
150.00 N/mm2   
14

Cleavage
Not Available   
Poor   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.73   
2.6   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
1-1.8 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.20 kJ/Kg K   
25
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact 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   
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam   

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

Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom   
Andorra, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden   

Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador   
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia   
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Ignimbrite and Phonolite Properties

Know all about Ignimbrite and Phonolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Ignimbrite and Phonolite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Ignimbrite is Aphanitic whereas that of Phonolite is Granular. Ignimbrite appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and Phonolite appears Banded and Foilated. The luster of Ignimbrite is vitreous to dull while that of Phonolite is greasy to dull. Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas Phonolite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Ignimbrite and Phonolite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks