Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Basaltic Trachyandesite is an extrusive igneous rock which is a type of Basalt rock and is formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the Earth's surface
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
From its mineral and compound content and its relation with Basalt and Andesite rock
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vitreous
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Dark Brown
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Volcanic glass
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
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.
Basaltic Trachandesite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Olivine
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
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Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Vermilion
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.4
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.058 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
India, Russia
Africa
East Africa
South Africa
Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Iceland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Tachylite vs Basaltic Trachyandesite 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. Tachylite vs Basaltic Trachyandesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tachylite and Properties of Basaltic Trachyandesite. Learn more about Tachylite vs Basaltic Trachyandesite in the next section. The interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basaltic Trachyandesite include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Tachylite and Basaltic Trachyandesite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tachylite in construction industry include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers and that of Basaltic Trachyandesite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Tachylite and Basaltic Trachyandesite
Here you can know more about Tachylite and Basaltic Trachyandesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tachylite and Basaltic Trachyandesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine and mineral content of Basaltic Trachyandesite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tachylite vs Basaltic Trachyandesite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas, Basaltic Trachyandesite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Tachylite is Glassy and that of Basaltic Trachyandesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tachylite vs Basaltic Trachyandesite. The hardness of Tachylite is 5.5 and that of Basaltic Trachyandesite is 6. The types of Tachylite are Volcanic glass whereas types of Basaltic Trachyandesite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tachylite is vermilion while that of Basaltic Trachyandesite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Tachylite is 0.56 kJ/Kg K and that of Basaltic Trachyandesite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Tachylite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant whereas Basaltic Trachyandesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.