Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
  
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
  
History
  
  
Origin
Iceland
  
New Zealand
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Patrick Marshall
  
Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
  
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Vitreous
  
Aphanitic
  
Color
Black, Dark Brown
  
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
  
Maintenance
More
  
More
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Glassy
  
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, 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
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
  
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
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
  
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
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.
  
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Olivine
  
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
  
Ca, NaCl
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
  
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
  
8
243.80 N/mm2
  
5
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.4
  
2.73
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
3.058 g/cm3
  
1-1.8 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.56 kJ/Kg K
  
22
0.20 kJ/Kg K
  
25
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
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, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, 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, Colombia, Ecuador
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Victoria
  
Central Australia, Western Australia
  
Tachylite 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. Tachylite vs Ignimbrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tachylite and Properties of Ignimbrite. Learn more about Tachylite vs Ignimbrite in the next section. The interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Ignimbrite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tachylite and Ignimbrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tachylite in construction industry include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers and that of Ignimbrite include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Tachylite and Ignimbrite
Here you can know more about Tachylite and Ignimbrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tachylite and Ignimbrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine 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 Tachylite vs Ignimbrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas, Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Tachylite is Glassy and that of Ignimbrite is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tachylite vs Ignimbrite. The hardness of Tachylite is 5.5 and that of Ignimbrite is 4-6. The types of Tachylite are Not Available 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 Tachylite is vermilion while that of Ignimbrite is white. The specific heat capacity of Tachylite is 0.56 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.Tachylite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant whereas Ignimbrite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.