Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Mugearite is a type of oligoclase bearing basalt, also comprising of olivine, apatite, and opaque oxides
Origin
Iceland
Skye, Scotland
Discoverer
Unknown
Alfred Harker
Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
From mugear + -ite
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
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, Flooring, Homes, Hotels
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
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, NA
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
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
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
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.
Mugearite forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.
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
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Not Applicable
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Vermilion
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Resinous
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Applicable
Toughness
Not Available
2.3
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
Others
Hawaii Islands
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Victoria
Not Yet Found
Tachylite vs Mugearite 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 Mugearite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tachylite and Properties of Mugearite. Learn more about Tachylite vs Mugearite in the next section. The interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Mugearite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes and Hotels. Due to some exceptional properties of Tachylite and Mugearite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tachylite in construction industry include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers and that of Mugearite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Tachylite and Mugearite
Here you can know more about Tachylite and Mugearite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tachylite and Mugearite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine and mineral content of Mugearite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tachylite vs Mugearite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas, Mugearite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Tachylite is Glassy and that of Mugearite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tachylite vs Mugearite. The hardness of Tachylite is 5.5 and that of Mugearite is 6. The types of Tachylite are Not Available whereas types of Mugearite 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 Mugearite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Tachylite is 0.56 kJ/Kg K and that of Mugearite 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 Mugearite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.