Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
  
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
  
History
  
  
Origin
Spain
  
New Zealand
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Patrick Marshall
  
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
  
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Vesicular
  
Aphanitic
  
Color
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
  
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
More
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Vesicular
  
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
As Building 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
  
Not Yet Used
  
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
  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Scoria
  
Not Available
  
Features
Host Rock for Lead
  
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
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.
  
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
  
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
  
Ca, NaCl
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6
  
4-6
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Planar
  
Uneven
  
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Earthy
  
Vitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
51.20 N/mm2
  
26
243.80 N/mm2
  
5
Cleavage
Perfect
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
3
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.86
  
2.73
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
  
1-1.8 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K
  
14
0.20 kJ/Kg K
  
25
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
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, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
  
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
  
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
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, Colombia, Ecuador
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
  
Central Australia, Western Australia
  
Pumice vs Ignimbrite 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. Pumice vs Ignimbrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Ignimbrite. Learn more about Pumice vs Ignimbrite in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Ignimbrite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Ignimbrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pumice in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks and that of Ignimbrite include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Pumice and Ignimbrite
Here you can know more about Pumice and Ignimbrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Ignimbrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Ignimbrite includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Ignimbrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas, Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Ignimbrite is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Ignimbrite. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Ignimbrite is 4-6. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Ignimbrite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pumice and Ignimbrite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Ignimbrite 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.Pumice is impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Ignimbrite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.