Tuff and Siltstone

Tuff

Siltstone

Siltstone and Tuff

Definition

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

Siltstone can be defined as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which mainly consists of consolidated silt

History

Origin

Italy

Unknown

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From English word silt and stone and from Proto-Indo-European root sal and stainaz

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary 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

Clastic

Color

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Brown, Red, Reddish Brown

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Rough

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork

Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Soil Conditioner

Types

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

Not Available

Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Not Applicable

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Not Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Not Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Present

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.

Siltstone is a type of sedimentary rock which is formed from fine rock particles. As the particles of eroded rock travel along with water, the edges of the rock are worn-out by water into a rounded shape.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Chlorite

Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt

Compound Content

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

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

Not Applicable

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

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

6-7

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Dull

Compressive Strength

243.80 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.73

2.54-2.73

Transparency

Opaque

Density

1-1.8 g/cm³

2.6-2.7 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.20 kJ/Kg K

Not Available

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water 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

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan

Africa

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

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

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

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Tuff and Siltstone Properties

Know all about Tuff and Siltstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tuff belongs to Igneous Rocks while Siltstone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic whereas that of Siltstone is Clastic. Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and Siltstone appears Rough. The luster of Tuff is vitreous to dull while that of Siltstone is dull. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas Siltstone is available in brown, red, reddish brown colors. The commercial uses of Tuff are creating artwork and that of Siltstone are raw material for the manufacture of mortar, soil conditioner.