Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
A sedimentary rock, deposit of a submarine turbidity currents and are composed of layered particles
History
Origin
Iceland
European Foreland Basins
Discoverer
Unknown
Arnold H. Bouma
Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
From Medieval Latin turbiditas, from Latin turbidus (turbid). Turbidity current is from 1939
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vitreous
Mud-rich, Sandy
Color
Black, Dark Brown
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Glassy
Dull and Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Volcanic glass
Sedimentary rock
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
High silica content, Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
Turbidite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles then settle down and are subjected to high temperature and pressures hence forming Turbidite.
Composition
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Olivine
Coesite, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5.53
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Splintery
Streak
Vermilion
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Resinous
Metallic
Compressive Strength
206.00 N/mm2200.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Disjunctive
Toughness
-
2.4
Specific Gravity
2.42.46-2.73
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.058 g/cm31.6-2.5 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.56 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
-
Africa
East Africa
Western Africa
Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Austria, Belarus, Romania, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Hawaii Islands
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
-
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Victoria
New Zealand, Western Australia