Travertine and Tuff

Travertine

Tuff

Tuff and Travertine

Definition

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

Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption

History

Origin

Italy

Discoverer

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Unknown

Etymology

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

From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Color

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

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Fibrous

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

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

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Creating Artwork

Types

Not Available

Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.

Features

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

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

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.

Tuff is formed when large masses of ash and sand which are mixed with hot gases are ejected by a volcano and avalanche rapidly down its slopes.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Calcite, Chlorite

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

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

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-4

4-6

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm²

243.80 N/mm²

Cleavage

Non-Existent

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

Specific Gravity

1.68

2.73

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.71 g/cm³

1-1.8 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.09 kJ/Kg K

0.20 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Russia

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen

Africa

Not Yet Found

Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

Others

Not Yet Found

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

Central Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Travertine and Tuff Properties

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