Definition
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
Origin
Tonale, Italy
New Zealand
Discoverer
Warren Hamilton
Patrick Marshall
Etymology
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite
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
Phaneritic
Aphanitic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded and Foilated
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Dacite
Pyroclastic rock
Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Archaeological Significance
Formation
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.86-3
2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.73 g/cm3
1-1.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen
Africa
Egypt
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
-
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Tonalite vs Ignimbrite 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. Tonalite vs Ignimbrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tonalite and Properties of Ignimbrite. Learn more about Tonalite vs Ignimbrite in the next section. The interior uses of Tonalite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Ignimbrite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tonalite and Ignimbrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tonalite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Ignimbrite include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Tonalite and Ignimbrite
Here you can know more about Tonalite and Ignimbrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tonalite and Ignimbrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon and mineral content of Ignimbrite includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tonalite vs Ignimbrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated and that of Ignimbrite is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tonalite vs Ignimbrite. The hardness of Tonalite is 6-7 and that of Ignimbrite is 4-6. The types of Tonalite are Dacite whereas types of Ignimbrite are Pyroclastic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tonalite is bluish black while that of Ignimbrite is white. The specific heat capacity of Tonalite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Ignimbrite is 0.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Ignimbrite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.