Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Edgar Bailey
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Fibrous
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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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, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Types
Thermal Travertine and Tufa
Metamorphic rock
Features
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
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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.
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, 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
Types of Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Dull
Specific Gravity
1.68
3-3.2
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
Japan, Turkey
Africa
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Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
France, Greece, Iceland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
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Deposits in Oceania Continent
Travertine vs Blueschist 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 Blueschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Blueschist. Learn more about Travertine vs Blueschist in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Blueschist, 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 Blueschist include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Travertine and Blueschist
Here you can know more about Travertine and Blueschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Blueschist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Blueschist includes Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Blueschist, 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, Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Blueschist is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Blueschist. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Blueschist is 3.5-4. The types of Travertine are Thermal Travertine and Tufa whereas types of Blueschist are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Travertine is white while that of Blueschist is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Blueschist is 0.84 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 Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant.