Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
During the impact melted material forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments together form Suevite rock.
Origin
Iceland
Canada, Germany
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
No etymologies found
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Dark Brown
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, 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
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Applicable
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Phyllosilicates, Calcite
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
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.
Suevite is a metamorphic rock consisting partly of melted material, typically forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments, formed during an impact event.
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Olivine
Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
Vermilion
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Irregular
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.4
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.058 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
Not Yet Found
Africa
East Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
England, France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
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
Not Yet Found
Tachylite vs Suevite 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 Suevite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tachylite and Properties of Suevite. Learn more about Tachylite vs Suevite in the next section. The interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Suevite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tachylite and Suevite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tachylite in construction industry include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers and that of Suevite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Tachylite and Suevite
Here you can know more about Tachylite and Suevite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tachylite and Suevite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine and mineral content of Suevite includes Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tachylite vs Suevite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas, Suevite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink colors. Appearance of Tachylite is Glassy and that of Suevite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tachylite vs Suevite. Hardness of Tachylite and Suevite is 5.5. The types of Tachylite are Not Available whereas types of Suevite are Phyllosilicates, Calcite. 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 Suevite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Tachylite is 0.56 kJ/Kg K and that of Suevite 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 Suevite is heat resistant.