Definition
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Basaltic Trachyandesite is an extrusive igneous rock which is a type of Basalt rock and is formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the Earth's surface
Discoverer
Van Tooren
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
From its mineral and compound content and its relation with Basalt and Andesite rock
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
Landscaping
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained 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
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
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.
Basaltic Trachandesite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Not Available
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
Bluish Black
White to Grey
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Not Available
Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
India, Russia
Africa
Namibia, Uganda
South Africa
Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Tephrite vs Basaltic Trachyandesite 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 Basaltic Trachyandesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tephrite and Properties of Basaltic Trachyandesite. Learn more about Tephrite vs Basaltic Trachyandesite in the next section. The interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basaltic Trachyandesite include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Tephrite and Basaltic Trachyandesite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tephrite in construction industry include Landscaping and that of Basaltic Trachyandesite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Tephrite and Basaltic Trachyandesite
Here you can know more about Tephrite and Basaltic Trachyandesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tephrite and Basaltic Trachyandesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Basaltic Trachyandesite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tephrite vs Basaltic Trachyandesite, 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, Basaltic Trachyandesite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Tephrite is Vesicular and that of Basaltic Trachyandesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tephrite vs Basaltic Trachyandesite. The hardness of Tephrite is 6.5 and that of Basaltic Trachyandesite is 6. The types of Tephrite are Not Available whereas types of Basaltic Trachyandesite 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 Tephrite is bluish black while that of Basaltic Trachyandesite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Tephrite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Basaltic Trachyandesite 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.Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Basaltic Trachyandesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.