Tachylite and Tuff

Tachylite

Tuff

Definition

Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt

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

History

Origin

Iceland

Italy

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting

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

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Vitreous

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Color

Black, Dark Brown

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Maintenance

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Glassy

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, 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

Industry

Construction Industry

Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork

Types

Not Available

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

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Not Yet Used

Used

Famous Monuments

Not Applicable

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Sculpture

Not Yet Used

Used

Famous Sculptures

Not Applicable

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Not Yet Used

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Tachylite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.

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

Feldspar, Olivine

Calcite, Chlorite

Compound Content

Fe, Mg

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5.5

4-6

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

Vermilion

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Resinous

Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

206.00 N/mm²

243.80 N/mm²

Cleavage

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.4

2.73

Transparency

Opaque

Density

3.058 g/cm³

1-1.8 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.56 kJ/Kg K

0.20 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Cambodia, Russia, 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

East Africa

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

Europe

England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden

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

Others

Hawaii Islands

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

South America

Not Yet Found

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Victoria

Central Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Tachylite and Tuff Properties

Know all about Tachylite and Tuff properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tachylite and Tuff belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Tachylite is Vitreous whereas that of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic. Tachylite appears Glassy and Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Tachylite is resinous while that of Tuff is vitreous to dull. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Tachylite and Tuff are cemetery markers, creating artwork.