Definition
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Origin
Germany
Western Australia, Minnesota
Discoverer
Van Tooren
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
From its formation process
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard 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
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Banded, Trellis
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Red, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
Landscaping
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Tephrite 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.
The banded iron layers are formed in sea water when oxygen is released by photosynthetic cyano-bacteria. The oxygen then combines with dissolved iron in ocean to form insoluble iron oxides, which precipitated out, forming a thin layer of banded iron formation on ocean floor.
Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Earthy
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.86
5.0-5.3
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Namibia, Uganda
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Tephrite vs Banded iron formation 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. Tephrite vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tephrite and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Tephrite vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Tephrite and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tephrite in construction industry include Landscaping and that of Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Tephrite and Banded iron formation
Here you can know more about Tephrite and Banded iron formation. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tephrite and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tephrite vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tephrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Tephrite is Vesicular and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tephrite vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Tephrite is 6.5 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Tephrite are Not Available whereas types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tephrite is bluish black while that of Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Tephrite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.