Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Mylonite is a metamorphic rock formed by ductile deformation during intense shearing encountered during folding and faulting, a process termed cataclastic or dynamic metamorphism
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From Greek mulōn mill + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Foliated
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Black to Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.
Blastomylonites, Ultramylonites and Phyllonites
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Surfaces are often shiny
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.
Mylonites are ductilely deformed rocks formed by the accumulation of large shear strain, in ductile fault zones.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Porphyroblasts
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Calcium Sulfate, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, Silicon 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, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Shiny
Cleavage
Not Available
Conchoidal
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.73
2.97-3.05
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2.6-4.8 g/cm3
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, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
England, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, 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
Central Australia, Western Australia
Tuff vs Mylonite 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 Mylonite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Mylonite. Learn more about Tuff vs Mylonite in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Mylonite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Mylonite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Mylonite include For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.
More about Tuff and Mylonite
Here you can know more about Tuff and Mylonite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Mylonite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Mylonite includes Porphyroblasts. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Mylonite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Mylonite is available in black to grey colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Mylonite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Mylonite. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Mylonite is 3-4. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Mylonite are Blastomylonites, Ultramylonites and Phyllonites. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tuff and Mylonite is white. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Mylonite is 1.50 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 Mylonite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.
