Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Claystone is a fine-grained, dark gray to pink sedimentary rock which mainly consists of compacted and hardened clay
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From English clay and stone as the rock contains more amount of clay
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary 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
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Facing Stone, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
Pottery
Types
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.
Claystone
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained 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.
Claystone is generally quite soft, but can be hard and brittle. It forms due to weathering of mudstone.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, 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
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Dull
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact 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
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
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Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
Canada, Panama, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Tuff vs Claystone 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 Claystone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Claystone. Learn more about Tuff vs Claystone in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Claystone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Claystone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Claystone include As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Tuff and Claystone
Here you can know more about Tuff and Claystone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Claystone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Claystone includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Claystone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Claystone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Claystone is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Claystone. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Claystone is 3.5-4. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Claystone are Claystone. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tuff and Claystone is white. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Claystone is 0.92 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 Claystone is heat resistant, impact resistant.