Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Discoverer
Cornish Gossen
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
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, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Rough, Sandy
Banded
Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Fibrous
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
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
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Not Available
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.
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
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Splintery
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Metallic
Dull to Pearly
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
1
Specific Gravity
2.0
1.68
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.71 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
China, Russia
Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Gossan 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. Gossan vs Travertine characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gossan and Properties of Travertine. Learn more about Gossan vs Travertine in the next section. The interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, 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 Gossan and Travertine, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gossan in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, 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 Gossan and Travertine
Here you can know more about Gossan and Travertine. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Travertine consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gossan includes Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon and mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Travertine, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors whereas, Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Travertine is Fibrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Travertine. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Travertine is 3-4. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan 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 Gossan is white to grey while that of Travertine is white. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 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.Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.