Tuff and Basanite

Tuff

Basanite

Definition

Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption

Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone

History

Origin

Italy

Unknown

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff

From Latin basanites + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork

As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms

Types

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

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite

Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Used

Not Yet Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

Pictographs

Used

Not Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Not Used

Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

Fossils

Absent

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.

Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Chlorite

Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase

Compound Content

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

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

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

4-6

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

243.80 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Not Available

Non-Existent

Toughness

Not Available

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.73

2.5-2.8

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

1-1.8 g/cm³

2.7 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.20 kJ/Kg K

0.74 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact 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

Not Yet Found

Africa

Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda

Uganda

Europe

France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain

Others

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Tuff and Basanite Properties

Know all about Tuff and Basanite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tuff and Basanite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic whereas that of Basanite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and Basanite appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Tuff is vitreous to dull while that of Basanite is waxy and dull. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Tuff are creating artwork and that of Basanite are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.