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Chert
Chert

Travertine
Travertine



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Chert vs Travertine

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Definition

Definition

Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters

History

Origin

-
Italy

Discoverer

Unknown
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Etymology

From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Banded, Rough
Banded

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly
Fibrous

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery

Types

Types

Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter
Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

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Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Present
Present

Formation

Formation

Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.
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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Quartz, Silicon
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.5-73-4
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained
Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Splintery

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull
Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

450.00 N/mm280.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1.5
1

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.81.68
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.7 g/cm32.71 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K1.09 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
China, Russia

Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
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Europe

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
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Chert vs Travertine Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Chert and Travertine Reserves. Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture. Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Chert vs Travertine information and Chert vs Travertine characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Chert 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. Chert vs Travertine characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Chert and Properties of Travertine. Learn more about Chert vs Travertine in the next section. The interior uses of Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Chert and Travertine, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Chert in construction industry include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points 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 Chert and Travertine

Here you can know more about Chert and Travertine. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Chert and Travertine consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon and mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Chert vs Travertine, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Chert is Glassy or Pearly and that of Travertine is Fibrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Chert vs Travertine. The hardness of Chert is 6.5-7 and that of Travertine is 3-4. The types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter 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 Chert and Travertine is white. The specific heat capacity of Chert is 0.74 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.Chert is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.