Definition
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
A water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
Discoverer
Patrick Marshall
Usiglio
Etymology
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite
From a sediment left after the evaporation
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Green, Grey, Silver, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
Types
Pyroclastic rock
Sedimentary rock
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
-
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.73
2.86-2.99
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
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
-
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
-
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Colombia, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Ignimbrite vs Evaporite 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. Ignimbrite vs Evaporite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Ignimbrite and Properties of Evaporite. Learn more about Ignimbrite vs Evaporite in the next section. The interior uses of Ignimbrite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Evaporite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Ignimbrite and Evaporite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Ignimbrite in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Evaporite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Ignimbrite and Evaporite
Here you can know more about Ignimbrite and Evaporite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Ignimbrite and Evaporite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Ignimbrite includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Evaporite includes Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Ignimbrite vs Evaporite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Evaporite is available in green, grey, silver, white colors. Appearance of Ignimbrite is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Evaporite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Ignimbrite vs Evaporite. The hardness of Ignimbrite is 4-6 and that of Evaporite is 2-3. The types of Ignimbrite are Pyroclastic rock whereas types of Evaporite are Sedimentary rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Ignimbrite and Evaporite is white. The specific heat capacity of Ignimbrite is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Evaporite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Ignimbrite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Evaporite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.