Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Greywacke is defined as a dark coarse-grained sandstone rock which contains more than 15 per cent clay
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From German Grauwacke, from grau grey + wacke
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Clastic
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
As armour rock for sea walls, Petroleum reservoirs, Sea Defence, Tombstones
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, Generally rough to touch, Non-vesicular, Veined
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
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.
Graywacke rock is a type of sedimentary rock, which is also known as immature sandstone, which is indurated, dark grey and consisting of poorly sorted angular to sub-angular, sand-sized grains.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
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
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Angular and Fine
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.73
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2.6-2.61 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure 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
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
Tuff vs Greywacke 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 Greywacke characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Greywacke. Learn more about Tuff vs Greywacke in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Greywacke include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Greywacke, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Greywacke include Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Tuff and Greywacke
Here you can know more about Tuff and Greywacke. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Greywacke consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Greywacke includes Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Greywacke, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Greywacke is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Greywacke is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Greywacke. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Greywacke is 6-7. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Greywacke 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 Greywacke is white. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Greywacke 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 Greywacke is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.