Travertine

Chert

Travertine vs Chert

Travertine

Chert

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Definition

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

Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture

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 flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded

Banded, Rough

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Fibrous

Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

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, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

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

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

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, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms

Types

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter

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

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

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.

Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Quartz, Silicon

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-46.5-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Splintery

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm²450.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

1.682.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.71 g/cm³2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.09 kJ/Kg K0.74 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Russia

China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Others

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

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Travertine vs Chert Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Travertine and Chert Reserves. Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters. Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Travertine vs Chert information and Travertine vs Chert characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Travertine vs Chert 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 Chert characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Chert. Learn more about Travertine vs Chert in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Chert, 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 Chert include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.

More about Travertine and Chert

Here you can know more about Travertine and Chert. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Chert consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Chert, 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, Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Chert is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Chert. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Chert is 6.5-7. The types of Travertine are Thermal Travertine and Tufa whereas types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Travertine and Chert is white. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Chert 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 Chert is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.