Definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
  
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
  
History
  
  
Origin
New Zealand
  
Italy
  
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
  
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
  
Etymology
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -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
  
Family
  
  
Group
Plutonic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Phaneritic
  
Banded
  
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
  
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
  
Fibrous
  
Architecture
  
  
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, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
  
Types
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Present
  
Formation
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
  
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
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
  
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3.5-4
  
3-4
  
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Irregular
  
Splintery
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Shiny
  
Dull to Pearly
  
Compressive Strength
107.55 N/mm2
  
19
80.00 N/mm2
  
23
Cleavage
Imperfect
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
2.1
  
1
  
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
  
1.68
  
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
  
2.71 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
1.25 kJ/Kg K
  
6
1.09 kJ/Kg K
  
8
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
  
China, Russia
  
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
  
Not Yet Found
  
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
  
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
  
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
  
Not Yet Found
  
Dunite 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. Dunite vs Travertine characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dunite and Properties of Travertine. Learn more about Dunite vs Travertine in the next section. The interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Dunite and Travertine, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Dunite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar 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 Dunite and Travertine
Here you can know more about Dunite and Travertine. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dunite and Travertine consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Dunite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene 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 Dunite vs Travertine, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Dunite is Rough and Shiny and that of Travertine is Fibrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dunite vs Travertine. The hardness of Dunite is 3.5-4 and that of Travertine is 3-4. The types of Dunite are Not Available whereas types of Travertine are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Dunite and Travertine is white. The specific heat capacity of Dunite is 1.25 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.Dunite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.