Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Discoverer
Unknown
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary 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
Foliated, Glassy
Banded
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Fibrous
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Thermal Travertine and Tufa
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
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Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
Formation
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.
Travertine is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock which then undergo sedimentation. They are then subjected to high temperature and pressure hence forming travertine rock.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Splintery
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Dull to Pearly
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
1.68
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
2.71 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
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Anorthosite vs Travertine 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. Anorthosite vs Travertine characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Travertine. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Travertine in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Travertine, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Anorthosite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate and that of Travertine include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Anorthosite and Travertine
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Travertine. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Travertine consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Travertine, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors whereas, Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Travertine is Fibrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Travertine. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Travertine is 3-4. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Travertine are Thermal Travertine and Tufa. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anorthosite and Travertine is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant whereas Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.