Sandstone and Tuff

Sandstone

Tuff

Definition

Sandstone is defined as a rock which is composed of sand-sized grains of various minerals mostly of uniform size and often are smooth and rounded

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

History

Origin

Unknown

Italy

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From its composition, sand and stone

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

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Granular, Rough

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Color

Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Maintenance

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Rough

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Creating Artwork

Types

Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister

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

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Abu Simbel in Egypt, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Dom in Berlin, Great Sphinx at Giza, Egypt, Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, India Gate in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Khajuraho Temples, India, Leh Palace in Leh, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Luxor Temple in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Petra in Jordan, Qutb Minar in India, Red Fort in Delhi, India, Sanchi Stupa in India

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Not Used

Used

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts. It forms when sand layers are buried under sediments of sand.

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

Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Calcite, Chlorite

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

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

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

4-6

Grain Size

Coarse or Fine

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

95.00 N/mm²

243.80 N/mm²

Cleavage

Perfect

Not Available

Toughness

2.6

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.2-2.8

2.73

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.2-2.8 g/cm³

1-1.8 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.20 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Thailand, Uzbekistan

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

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

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

Europe

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

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

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand

Central Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Sandstone and Tuff Properties

Know all about Sandstone and Tuff properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Sandstone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Tuff belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Sandstone is Clastic, Granular, Rough whereas that of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic. Sandstone appears Rough and Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Sandstone is dull while that of Tuff is vitreous to dull. Sandstone and Tuff are available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Sandstone are an oil and gas reservoir, in aquifers, petroleum reservoirs, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones, used in aquariums and that of Tuff are creating artwork.