Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Ian S. E. Carmichael
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
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
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
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.
Icelandite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
1.1
Specific Gravity
2.73
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch 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
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Tuff vs Icelandite 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 Icelandite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Icelandite. Learn more about Tuff vs Icelandite in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Icelandite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Icelandite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Tuff and Icelandite
Here you can know more about Tuff and Icelandite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Icelandite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Icelandite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Icelandite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Icelandite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Icelandite. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Icelandite is 7. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Icelandite 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 Icelandite is white. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Icelandite is 2.39 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 Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.