Obsidian

Tuff

Obsidian vs Tuff

Obsidian

Tuff

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth

Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Ethiopia

Italy

1.2.2 Discoverer

Obsius

Unknown

1.3 Etymology

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Glassy

Clastic, Pyroclastic

2.2 Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Brown, Grey, Yellow

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.5 Appearance

Shiny

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration

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

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Not Yet Used

Curbing

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Surgery

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

Creating Artwork

4 Types

4.1 Types

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.

4.2 Features

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Not Yet Used

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Not Applicable

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

4.3.3 Sculpture

Not Yet Used

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Not Applicable

Data Not Available

4.3.5 Pictographs

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Not Yet Used

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.

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.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Not Available

Calcite, Chlorite

5.2.2 Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

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

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

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

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

5-5.5

4-6

6.1.2 Grain Size

Not Applicable

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

6.1.4 Streak

White

6.1.5 Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Vitreous

Vitreous to Dull

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

Flint

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▶

▼

0.15 N/mm²

Rank: 33 (Overall)▶

243.80 N/mm²

Rank: 5 (Overall)▶

▲

Obsidian

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▶

175 (Granite)

◀ ▶ ADD ⊕

6.1.8 Cleavage

Non-Existent

Not Available

6.1.9 Toughness

Not Available

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.6-2.7

2.73

6.1.11 Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.6 g/cm³

1-1.8 g/cm³

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

Banded iron for..

⊕

▶

▼

0.92 kJ/Kg K

Rank: 10 (Overall)▶

0.20 kJ/Kg K

Rank: 25 (Overall)▶

▲

Granulite

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▶

1.09 (Travertine)

◀ ▶ ADD ⊕

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, 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

7.1.2 Africa

Kenya

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

7.1.3 Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

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

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

7.2.2 South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New Zealand

Central Australia, Western Australia

Obsidian vs Tuff Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Obsidian and Tuff Reserves. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Obsidian vs Tuff information and Obsidian vs Tuff characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Obsidian vs Tuff 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. Obsidian vs Tuff characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Tuff. Learn more about Obsidian vs Tuff in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Tuff, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Obsidian in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Tuff include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.

More about Obsidian and Tuff

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Tuff. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Tuff consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Tuff, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Tuff. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Tuff is 4-6. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Tuff is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Tuff is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.