Kimberlite

Travertine

Kimberlite and Travertine

Kimberlite

Travertine

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Definition

Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.

Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters

History

Origin

Kimberley, South Africa

Italy

Discoverer

John W. Judd

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Etymology

From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.

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, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Porphyritic

Banded

Color

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey

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

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Banded

Fibrous

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

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

Types

Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

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

Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.

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

Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-73-4

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine to Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Splintery

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

260.00 N/mm²80.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Conchoidal

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.871.68

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.95-2.96 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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Russia

China, Russia

Africa

Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa

Europe

England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Others

Antarctica

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Kimberlite and Travertine Properties

Know all about Kimberlite and Travertine properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Kimberlite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Kimberlite is Porphyritic whereas that of Travertine is Banded. Kimberlite appears Dull and Banded and Travertine appears Fibrous. The luster of Kimberlite is subvitreous to dull while that of Travertine is dull to pearly. Kimberlite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Kimberlite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery.