Tuff vs Basalt

Tuff vs Basalt Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Tuff and Basalt Reserves. Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Tuff vs Basalt information and Tuff vs Basalt characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Tuff vs Basalt Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Tuff vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Tuff vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Tuff and Basalt

Here you can know more about Tuff and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Basalt. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tuff is white while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Tuff is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.