Definition
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Discoverer
Unknown
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
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, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Platy
Banded
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
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
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Types
Biotite hornfels
Not Available
Features
Smooth to touch
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
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
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
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
Andalusite
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Splintery
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Shiny
Dull to Pearly
Cleavage
Perfect
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Yet Found
1
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
1.68
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
2.71 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
China, Russia
Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
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
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
All about Hornfels and Travertine Properties
Know all about Hornfels and Travertine properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Hornfels is Granular, Platy whereas that of Travertine is Banded. Hornfels appears Dull and Travertine appears Fibrous. The luster of Hornfels is shiny while that of Travertine is dull to pearly. Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors whereas Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Hornfels are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery.