Ignimbrite

Pseudotachylite

Ignimbrite and Pseudotachylite

Ignimbrite

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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

Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.

History

Origin

New Zealand

USA

Discoverer

Patrick Marshall

Unknown

Etymology

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

From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic

Quench

Color

Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Gemstone

Types

Pyroclastic rock

Cataclastic rock

Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl

Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

4-67

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Uneven

Streak

White

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

243.80 N/mm²60.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.732.46-2.86

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Transparent to Translucent

Density

1-1.8 g/cm³2.7-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.20 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat 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

South Korea

Africa

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

Western Africa

Europe

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

Great Britain, Switzerland

Others

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Ignimbrite and Pseudotachylite Properties

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