Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Dark Brown
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet 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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Olivine
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
Vermilion
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Irregular
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.4
2.46-2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
3.058 g/cm3
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
South Korea
Africa
East Africa
Western Africa
Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Great Britain, Switzerland
Others
Hawaii Islands
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Not Yet Found
South America
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Victoria
Central Australia, Western Australia
Tachylite vs Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tachylite and Properties of Pseudotachylite. Learn more about Tachylite vs Pseudotachylite in the next section. The interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pseudotachylite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tachylite and Pseudotachylite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tachylite in construction industry include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers and that of Pseudotachylite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Tachylite and Pseudotachylite
Here you can know more about Tachylite and Pseudotachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tachylite and Pseudotachylite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine and mineral content of Pseudotachylite includes Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tachylite vs Pseudotachylite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas, Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Tachylite is Glassy and that of Pseudotachylite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tachylite vs Pseudotachylite. The hardness of Tachylite is 5.5 and that of Pseudotachylite is 7. The types of Tachylite are Not Available whereas types of Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Tachylite is 0.56 kJ/Kg K and that of Pseudotachylite is 0.92 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 Pseudotachylite is heat resistant.