Tuff and Taconite

Tuff

Taconite

Taconite and Tuff

Definition

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

Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica

History

Origin

Italy

Western Australia, Minnesota

Discoverer

Unknown

Newton Horace Winchell

Etymology

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

From the name of Taconic Mountains in New England

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Banded, Trellis

Color

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Red, Reddish Brown

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork

As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

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

Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Data Not Available

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.

Taconite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. When the river reaches a lake or sea, its load of transported rocks settles or deposits at the bottom of sea or lake.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Chlorite

Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz

Compound Content

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Fe, Iron(III) 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

Biological 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

4-6

5.5-6

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Large and Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Earthy

Compressive Strength

243.80 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Not Available

Imperfect

Toughness

Not Available

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.73

5-5.3

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

1-1.8 g/cm³

Not Available

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.20 kJ/Kg K

3.20 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

China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

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

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

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

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Others

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Tuff and Taconite Properties

Know all about Tuff and Taconite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tuff belongs to Igneous Rocks while Taconite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic whereas that of Taconite is Banded, Trellis. Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and Taconite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Tuff is vitreous to dull while that of Taconite is earthy. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas Taconite is available in red, reddish brown colors. The commercial uses of Tuff are creating artwork and that of Taconite are as a touchstone, cemetery markers, creating artwork.