Skarn

Travertine

Skarn and Travertine

Skarn

Travertine

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Definition

Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin

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

History

Origin

USA, Australia

Italy

Discoverer

Tornebohm

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Etymology

From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.

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, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough

Banded

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

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

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Fibrous

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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, Gold and Silver production, 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

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

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

Types

Endoskarns

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Features

Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits

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. Skarn 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

Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Compound Content

Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.53-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Splintery

Streak

Light to dark brown

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

70.00 N/mm²80.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.4

Specific Gravity

2.861.68

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 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, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka

China, Russia

Africa

South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

United Kingdom

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Skarn and Travertine Properties

Know all about Skarn and Travertine properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Skarn belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Skarn is Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough whereas that of Travertine is Banded. Skarn appears Dull and Travertine appears Fibrous. The luster of Skarn is waxy and dull while that of Travertine is dull to pearly. Skarn is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Skarn are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, metallurgical flux, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery.