Definition
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
Discoverer
Alois Wehrle
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded
Clastic, Pyroclastic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Creating Artwork
Types
Ultramafic rock
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
-
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
Formation
Wehrlite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
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.
Mineral Content
Pyroxene
Calcite, Chlorite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact 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, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Metallic
Vitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
8.4
2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
1-1.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
-
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Wehrlite vs Tuff 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. Wehrlite vs Tuff characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Wehrlite and Properties of Tuff. Learn more about Wehrlite vs Tuff in the next section. The interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Wehrlite and Tuff, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Wehrlite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Tuff include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Wehrlite and Tuff
Here you can know more about Wehrlite and Tuff. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Wehrlite and Tuff consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene and mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Wehrlite vs Tuff, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors whereas, Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. Appearance of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded and that of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Wehrlite vs Tuff. The hardness of Wehrlite is 5.5-6 and that of Tuff is 4-6. The types of Wehrlite are Ultramafic rock whereas types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Wehrlite and Tuff is white. The specific heat capacity of Wehrlite is 0.63 kJ/Kg K and that of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Wehrlite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Tuff is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.