Home
Compare Rocks


Tuff and Andesite


Andesite and Tuff


Definition

Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption   
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava   

History
  
  

Origin
Italy   
North America   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff   
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic   
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   

Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow   
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow   

Maintenance
More   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated   
Dull and Soft   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate   
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork   
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.   
Icelandite   

Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust   
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean   
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Tuff is formed when large masses of ash and sand which are mixed with hot gases are ejected by a volcano and avalanche rapidly down its slopes.   
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite   
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon   

Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide   
Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
4-6   
7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Uneven   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous to Dull   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
243.80 N/mm2   
5
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Not Available   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.1   

Specific Gravity
2.73   
2.5-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
1-1.8 g/cm3   
2.11-2.36 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.20 kJ/Kg K   
25
2.39 kJ/Kg K   
2

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

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   
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea   

Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom   
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom   

Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA   
Mexico, USA   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay   
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Tuff and Andesite Properties

Know all about Tuff and Andesite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tuff and Andesite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic whereas that of Andesite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and Andesite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Tuff is vitreous to dull while that of Andesite is vitreous. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Tuff are creating artwork and that of Andesite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks