Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Origin
Italy
North America
Discoverer
Unknown
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Grey, White, Light Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Types
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet 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.
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Sub-conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Earthy
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2
Specific Gravity
2.73
2.65-2.67
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat 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
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
Canada, 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 Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Tuff vs Rhyolite 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 Rhyolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Rhyolite. Learn more about Tuff vs Rhyolite in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Rhyolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Rhyolite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives.
More about Tuff and Rhyolite
Here you can know more about Tuff and Rhyolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Rhyolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Rhyolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Rhyolite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Rhyolite. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Rhyolite is 6-7. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tuff is white while that of Rhyolite is colorless. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Rhyolite 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 Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.