Gneiss

Travertine

Gneiss and Travertine

Gneiss

Travertine

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Definition

Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks

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 the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)

From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded, Foliated, Platy

Banded

Color

Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White

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

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Foliated

Fibrous

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, 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

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

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

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery

Types

Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.

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

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US

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

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.

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

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

73-4

1 7

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Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Splintery

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

125.00 N/mm²80.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.2

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.71.68

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.6-2.9 g/cm³2.71 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.70 kJ/Kg K1.09 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia

China, Russia

Africa

Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo

Europe

Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

All about Gneiss and Travertine Properties

Know all about Gneiss and Travertine properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Gneiss belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Gneiss is Banded, Foliated, Platy whereas that of Travertine is Banded. Gneiss appears Foliated and Travertine appears Fibrous. The luster of Gneiss is dull while that of Travertine is dull to pearly. Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors whereas Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Gneiss are cemetery markers, jewelry, tombstones, used in aquariums and that of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery.