Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Sandstone is defined as a rock which is composed of sand-sized grains of various minerals mostly of uniform size and often are smooth and rounded
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From its composition, sand and stone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Rough
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, 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.
Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
Abu Simbel in Egypt, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Dom in Berlin, Great Sphinx at Giza, Egypt, Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, India Gate in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Khajuraho Temples, India, Leh Palace in Leh, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Luxor Temple in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Petra in Jordan, Qutb Minar in India, Red Fort in Delhi, India, Sanchi Stupa in India
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US
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.
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts. It forms when sand layers are buried under sediments of sand.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse or Fine
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.73
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
2.2-2.8 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, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Thailand, Uzbekistan
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Tuff vs Sandstone 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 Sandstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Sandstone. Learn more about Tuff vs Sandstone in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Sandstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Sandstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Sandstone include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Tuff and Sandstone
Here you can know more about Tuff and Sandstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Sandstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Sandstone includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Sandstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Sandstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Sandstone is Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Sandstone. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Sandstone is 6-7. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Sandstone are Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tuff and Sandstone is white. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Sandstone 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 Sandstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.