Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix
Origin
Italy
Swiss Alps, Europe
Discoverer
Unknown
Michael Tellinger
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From the Italian word cataclasi
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Clastic
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Dull and Banded
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, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
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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.
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.73
2.1
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure 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
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
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Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Argentina, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia