Tuff

Pumice

Tuff and Pumice

Tuff

Pumice

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

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

Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Italy

Spain

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

1.3 Etymology

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

From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Vesicular

2.2 Color

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Vesicular

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

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

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

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Powder

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork

As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums

4 Types

4.1 Types

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

Scoria

4.2 Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Host Rock for Lead

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Not Applicable

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

4.3.5 Pictographs

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 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.

Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Calcite, Chlorite

Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica

5.2.2 Compound Content

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

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

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

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

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

4-66

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Uneven

Planar

6.1.4 Streak

White

White, Greenish White or Grey

6.1.5 Porosity

Highly Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Earthy

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

243.80 N/mm²51.20 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Not Available

Perfect

6.1.9 Toughness

Not Available

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.732.86

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

1-1.8 g/cm³0.25-0.3 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

0.20 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 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

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

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

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

7.1.3 Europe

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

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

7.1.4 Others

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA

7.2.2 South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Tuff and Pumice Properties

Know all about Tuff and Pumice properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tuff and Pumice belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic whereas that of Pumice is Vesicular. Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and Pumice appears Vesicular. The luster of Tuff is vitreous to dull while that of Pumice is earthy. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. The commercial uses of Tuff are creating artwork and that of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums.