Definition
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Trachyte is a grey fine-grained volcanic rock which mainly consists of alkali feldspar
Discoverer
Van Tooren
Alexandre Brongniart and René Just Haüy
Etymology
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
From Greek trakhus rough’ or trakhutēs roughness
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
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Landscaping
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Igneous rock
Felsic volcanic rock
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
Archaeological Significance
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.
Trachyte is an igneous volcanic rock with an aphanitic to porphyritic texture. It is the volcanic equivalent of syenite rock and forms as a result of magmatic differentiation.
Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Metallic
Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive
-
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.43-2.45 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Namibia, Uganda
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
-
Brazil, Chile
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Tephrite vs Trachyte 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 Trachyte characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tephrite and Properties of Trachyte. Learn more about Tephrite vs Trachyte in the next section. The interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Trachyte include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tephrite and Trachyte, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tephrite in construction industry include Landscaping and that of Trachyte include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Tephrite and Trachyte
Here you can know more about Tephrite and Trachyte. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tephrite and Trachyte consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Trachyte includes Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tephrite vs Trachyte, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tephrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Trachyte is available in black, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Tephrite is Vesicular and that of Trachyte is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tephrite vs Trachyte. The hardness of Tephrite is 6.5 and that of Trachyte is 6. The types of Tephrite are Igneous rock whereas types of Trachyte are Felsic volcanic rock. 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 Trachyte is white. The specific heat capacity of Tephrite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Trachyte 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 Trachyte is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.