Definition
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
History
Origin
New Zealand
North America
Discoverer
Patrick Marshall
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Etymology
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Grey, White, Light Black
Maintenance
More
More
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Industry
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Types
Pyroclastic rock
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Composition
Mineral Content
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
4-66-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Sub-conchoidal
Streak
White
-
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Earthy
Compressive Strength
243.80 N/mm2140.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
2
Specific Gravity
2.732.65-2.67
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm32.4-2.6 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.20 kJ/Kg K0.71 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear 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
China, India
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
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia