Home
Compare Rocks


Marl and Travertine


Travertine and Marl


Definition

Definition
Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime  
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
Italy  

Discoverer
William Smith  
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio  

Etymology
From Old French marle, from Late Latin marglia  
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy  

Class
Sedimentary 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

Texture
Earthy  
Banded  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Dull  
Fibrous  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Roof Tiles  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar  
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, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery  

Types

Types
Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl  
Thermal Travertine and Tufa  

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Splintery, Very fine grained rock  
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
Present  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Marl forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settles at the bottom of water bodies and are compacted by overlying sediment; the water squeezes out and hence forming Marl rock.  
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
Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz  
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide  
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3  
3-4  

Grain Size
Very fine-grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Splintery  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Dull to Pearly  

Compressive Strength
30.00 N/mm2  
99+
80.00 N/mm2  
33

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
2.6  
1  

Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8  
1.68  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3  
2.71 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.80 kJ/Kg K  
16
1.09 kJ/Kg K  
8

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Pakistan, Russia  
China, Russia  

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa  
-  

Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru  
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia  
-  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Marl and Travertine Properties

Know all about Marl and Travertine properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Marl and Travertine belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Marl is Earthy whereas that of Travertine is Banded. Marl appears Rough and Dull and Travertine appears Fibrous. The luster of Marl is dull while that of Travertine is dull to pearly. Marl is available in beige, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Marl are creating artwork, soil conditioner and that of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

» More Sedimentary Rocks

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

» More Compare Sedimentary Rocks