Home
Compare Rocks


Serpentinite and Tuff


Tuff and Serpentinite


Definition

Definition
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.  
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption  

History
  
  

Origin
USA  
Italy  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From English word serpentinization.  
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Volcanic  

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy  
Clastic, Pyroclastic  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White  
Brown, Grey, Yellow  

Maintenance
Less  
More  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Dull  
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

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

Medical Industry
-  
-  

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  
Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Jadeitite  
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  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.  
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
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides  
Calcite, Chlorite  

Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur  
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

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

Weathering
No  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-5  
4-6  

Grain Size
Very fine-grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
Uneven  

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Vitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
310.00 N/mm2  
2
243.80 N/mm2  
6

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
7  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.79-3  
2.73  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.5-3 g/cm3  
1-1.8 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.95 kJ/Kg K  
9
0.20 kJ/Kg K  
32

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea  
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, Western Africa  
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda  

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

Others
-  
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada  
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA  

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia  
Central Australia, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Serpentinite and Tuff Properties

Know all about Serpentinite and Tuff properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Serpentinite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Tuff belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Serpentinite is Earthy whereas that of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic. Serpentinite appears Rough and Dull and Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Serpentinite is waxy and dull while that of Tuff is vitreous to dull. Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Serpentinite and Tuff are commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

» More Metamorphic Rocks

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

» More Compare Metamorphic Rocks