Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
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Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Fibrous
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
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, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Thermal Travertine and Tufa
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
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.
Epidosite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
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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Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
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Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
1.68
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
India, Russia
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Iceland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Travertine vs Epidosite 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 Epidosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Epidosite. Learn more about Travertine vs Epidosite in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Epidosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Epidosite, 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 Epidosite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Travertine and Epidosite
Here you can know more about Travertine and Epidosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Epidosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Epidosite, 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, Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Epidosite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Epidosite. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Epidosite is 6. The types of Travertine are Thermal Travertine and Tufa whereas types of Epidosite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. 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 Epidosite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Epidosite 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 Epidosite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.