Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Coquina is a sedimentary rock that is composed either wholly or almost entirely of the transported, abraded, and mechanically-sorted fragments of the shells of molluscs, trilobites, brachiopods, or other invertebrates
Origin
Italy
European Foreland Basins
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From Concha (Latin)+ Coquina(Spanish) +conch(English)= Couquina (mid 19th century)
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Clastic
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Beige, Buff, Orange
Durability
Durable
Non-Durable
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
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
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
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.
Coquina is a sedimentary rock which is formed when billions of small clam-like seashell, called Coquina, or cockleshell are die and hence are deposited, buried and turns into a rock when pressure is applied.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Apatite, Augite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Clay Minerals, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Micas, Muscovite or Illite
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.73
1.10-2.24
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear 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
Not Yet Found
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Not Yet Found
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Tuff vs Coquina 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 Coquina characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Coquina. Learn more about Tuff vs Coquina in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Coquina include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Coquina, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Coquina include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Tuff and Coquina
Here you can know more about Tuff and Coquina. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Coquina consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Coquina includes Apatite, Augite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Clay Minerals, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Micas, Muscovite or Illite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Coquina, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Coquina is available in beige, buff, orange colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Coquina is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Coquina. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Coquina is 1-2. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Coquina are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tuff and Coquina is white. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Coquina is Not Available. 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 Coquina is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.