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
History
Origin
New Zealand
Italy
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
Family
Group
-
-
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
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull
Fibrous
Architecture
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
Industry
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
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Types
Biotite hornfels
Thermal Travertine and Tufa
Features
Smooth to touch
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
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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Andalusite
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
2-33-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Splintery
Streak
-
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Shiny
Dull to Pearly
Compressive Strength
5.80 N/mm280.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
-
Toughness
-
1
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.91.68
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm32.71 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K1.09 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
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
-
Europe
United Kingdom
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Others
-
-
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
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