Pumice

Tuff

Pumice and Tuff

Pumice

Tuff

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Definition

Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals

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

History

Origin

Spain

Italy

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex

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

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Vesicular

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Color

Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Powder

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums

Creating Artwork

Types

Scoria

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

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.

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

Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica

Calcite, Chlorite

Compound Content

Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

64-6

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Planar

Uneven

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Earthy

Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

51.20 N/mm²243.80 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.862.73

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

0.25-0.3 g/cm³1-1.8 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K0.20 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

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

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

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

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

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

Others

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Pumice and Tuff Properties

Know all about Pumice and Tuff properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pumice and Tuff belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pumice is Vesicular whereas that of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic. Pumice appears Vesicular and Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Pumice is earthy while that of Tuff is vitreous to dull. Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums and that of Tuff are creating artwork.