Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Vesicular
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Glassy and Vesicular
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
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills
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
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, 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.
Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Ca, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.73
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
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
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Tuff vs Scoria 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 Scoria characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Scoria. Learn more about Tuff vs Scoria in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Scoria include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Scoria, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Scoria include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works.
More about Tuff and Scoria
Here you can know more about Tuff and Scoria. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Scoria consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Scoria includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Scoria, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Scoria is available in black, brown, dark grey to black, red colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Scoria is Glassy and Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Scoria. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Scoria is 5-6. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Scoria 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 Scoria is white. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Scoria 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 Scoria is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.