Definition
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition
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 English feldspar and -ite
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
Volcanic
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous
Banded
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
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
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Fibrous
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, 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
Surgery
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Types
Igneous rock
Thermal Travertine and Tufa
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
Formation
Felsite 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.
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
Feldspar, Iron Oxides
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5-5.53-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Splintery
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Dull to Pearly
Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm280.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
1
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.71.68
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm32.71 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K1.09 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, Russia
Africa
Kenya
-
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
-