Tuff

Obsidian

Tuff vs Obsidian

Tuff

Obsidian

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Italy

Ethiopia

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

Obsius

1.3 Etymology

From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Glassy

2.2 Color

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Shiny

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

Garden Decoration

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Not Yet Used

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Surgery

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

4 Types

4.1 Types

Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

4.2 Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Not Applicable

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

4.3.5 Pictographs

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 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.

When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Calcite, Chlorite

Not Available

5.2.2 Compound Content

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

4-65-5.5

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Fine Grained

Not Applicable

6.1.3 Fracture

Uneven

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

White

6.1.5 Porosity

Highly Porous

Very Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Vitreous

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

243.80 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Not Available

Non-Existent

6.1.9 Toughness

Not Available

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.732.6-2.7

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

6.1.12 Density

1-1.8 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

0.20 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 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

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda

Kenya

7.1.3 Europe

France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

7.1.4 Others

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

7.2.2 South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand

Tuff vs Obsidian Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Tuff and Obsidian Reserves. Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Tuff vs Obsidian information and Tuff vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Tuff vs Obsidian 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 Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Tuff vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Tuff and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Tuff and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Obsidian. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tuff and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Obsidian 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 Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.