Home
Compare Rocks


Norite and Tuff


Tuff and Norite


Definition

Definition
Norite is a mafic intrusive igneous rock composed largely of the calcium-rich plagioclase labradorite, orthopyroxene, and olivine   
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption   

History
  
  

Origin
Norway   
Italy   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the Norwegian name for Norway, Norge   
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Phaneritic   
Clastic, Pyroclastic   

Color
Dark Grey to Black   
Brown, Grey, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Veined and Shiny   
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   
Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.   

Features
Smooth to touch   
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Norite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.   
Tuff is formed when large masses of ash and sand which are mixed with hot gases are ejected by a volcano and avalanche rapidly down its slopes.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Calcite, Chlorite   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
4-6   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Uneven   

Streak
Black   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Vitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2   
7
243.80 N/mm2   
5

Cleavage
Not Available   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.6   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
2.73   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3   
1-1.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.20 kJ/Kg K   
25

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
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
South Africa   
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda   

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

Others
Greenland   
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

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

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland   
Central Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Norite and Tuff Properties

Know all about Norite and Tuff properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Norite and Tuff belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Norite is Phaneritic whereas that of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic. Norite appears Veined and Shiny and Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Norite is not available while that of Tuff is vitreous to dull. Norite is available in dark grey to black colors whereas Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Norite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Tuff are creating artwork.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks