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.
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
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Dull and Soft
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
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
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
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.
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
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Streak
White
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Cleavage
Not Available
Irregular
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.73
2.46-2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat 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
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
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
Not Yet Found
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Ignimbrite vs Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Ignimbrite and Properties of Pseudotachylite. Learn more about Ignimbrite vs Pseudotachylite in the next section. The interior uses of Ignimbrite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pseudotachylite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Ignimbrite and Pseudotachylite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Ignimbrite in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Pseudotachylite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Ignimbrite and Pseudotachylite
Here you can know more about Ignimbrite and Pseudotachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Ignimbrite and Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite includes Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Ignimbrite vs Pseudotachylite, 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, Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Ignimbrite is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Pseudotachylite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Ignimbrite vs Pseudotachylite. The hardness of Ignimbrite is 4-6 and that of Pseudotachylite is 7. The types of Ignimbrite are Not Available whereas types of Pseudotachylite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Ignimbrite is white while that of Pseudotachylite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Ignimbrite is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite is heat resistant.