Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
From Latin basanites + -ite
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Fibrous
Glassy or Pearly
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
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
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
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Not Available
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Features
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
Data Not Available
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.
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Non-Existent
Specific Gravity
1.68
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3
2.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
Not Yet Found
Africa
Not Yet Found
Uganda
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Travertine vs Basanite 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 Basanite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Basanite . Learn more about Travertine vs Basanite in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basanite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Basanite , 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 Basanite include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Travertine and Basanite
Here you can know more about Travertine and Basanite . The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Basanite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Basanite includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Basanite , 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, Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Basanite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Basanite . The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Basanite is 7. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Basanite are Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Travertine and Basanite is white. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Basanite is 0.74 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 Basanite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.