Travertine

Pseudotachylite

Travertine and Pseudotachylite

Travertine

Pseudotachylite

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Definition

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

Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.

History

Origin

Italy

USA

Discoverer

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Unknown

Etymology

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

From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded

Quench

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Fibrous

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, 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

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Creating Artwork, Gemstone

Types

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Cataclastic rock

Features

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

Host Rock for Lead

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

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

3-47

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Splintery

Uneven

Streak

White

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm²60.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

1.682.46-2.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Transparent to Translucent

Density

2.71 g/cm³2.7-2.9 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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Russia

South Korea

Africa

Western Africa

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Great Britain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Travertine and Pseudotachylite Properties

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