Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Origin
Italy
Western Australia, Minnesota
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
From its formation process
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded
Banded, Trellis
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Red, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Fibrous
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
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, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Features
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
The banded iron layers are formed in sea water when oxygen is released by photosynthetic cyano-bacteria. The oxygen then combines with dissolved iron in ocean to form insoluble iron oxides, which precipitated out, forming a thin layer of banded iron formation on ocean floor.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Earthy
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
1.68
5.0-5.3
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Not Yet Found
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Travertine vs Banded iron formation Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Travertine vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Travertine vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Travertine in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Travertine and Banded iron formation
Here you can know more about Travertine and Banded iron formation. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Travertine and Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.