Travertine

Obsidian

Travertine and Obsidian

Travertine

Obsidian

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Definition

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

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth

History

Origin

Italy

Ethiopia

Discoverer

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Obsius

Etymology

From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded

Glassy

Color

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

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Fibrous

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

Types

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

Features

Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

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

Absent

Formation

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.

When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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

3-45-5.5

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

1.682.6-2.7

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

Density

2.71 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.09 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Russia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Kenya

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand

All about Travertine and Obsidian Properties

Know all about Travertine and Obsidian properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Obsidian belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Travertine is Banded whereas that of Obsidian is Glassy. Travertine appears Fibrous and Obsidian appears Shiny. The luster of Travertine is dull to pearly while that of Obsidian is vitreous. Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors whereas Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery and that of Obsidian are creating artwork, mirror, used in aquariums.