Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From quartz + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Foliated, Granular
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Lustrous
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums
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, 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
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.
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Cleavage
Not Available
Indiscernible
Toughness
Not Available
1.9
Specific Gravity
2.73
2.6-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2.32-2.42 g/cm3
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
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
Bahamas, Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Tuff vs Quartzite 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 Quartzite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Quartzite. Learn more about Tuff vs Quartzite in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Quartzite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Quartzite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Tuff and Quartzite
Here you can know more about Tuff and Quartzite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Quartzite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Quartzite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Quartzite is Lustrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Quartzite. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Quartzite is 6-7. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Quartzite 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 Quartzite is white. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Quartzite is 0.75 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 Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.