Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
A sedimentary rock, deposit of a submarine turbidity currents and are composed of layered particles
Origin
Italy
European Foreland Basins
Discoverer
Unknown
Arnold H. Bouma
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
From Medieval Latin turbiditas, from Latin turbidus (turbid). Turbidity current is from 1939
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Mud-rich, Sandy
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
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
High silica content, Host Rock for Lead
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.
Turbidite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles then settle down and are subjected to high temperature and pressures hence forming Turbidite.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
Coesite, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Splintery
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Metallic
Cleavage
Not Available
Disjunctive
Toughness
Not Available
2.4
Specific Gravity
2.73
2.46-2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
1.6-2.5 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat 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
Not Yet Found
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Western Africa
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Austria, Belarus, Romania, Switzerland, United Kingdom
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
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Tuff vs Turbidite 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 Turbidite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Turbidite. Learn more about Tuff vs Turbidite in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Turbidite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Turbidite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Turbidite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Tuff and Turbidite
Here you can know more about Tuff and Turbidite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Turbidite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Turbidite includes Coesite, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Turbidite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Turbidite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Turbidite is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Turbidite. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Turbidite is 3. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Turbidite are Not Available. 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 Turbidite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Turbidite 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 Turbidite is heat resistant.