Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Latite is an igneous, volcanic rock, with aphanitic-aphyric to aphyric-porphyritic texture
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
From the Latin word latium
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
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, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
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
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 a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Metallurgical Flux, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Rhomb porphyries
Features
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
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.
Latite 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
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
CaO, Cl, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic 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
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Perfect
Specific Gravity
1.68
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.71 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
Not Yet Found
Africa
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Bulgaria
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Travertine vs Latite 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 Latite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Latite. Learn more about Travertine vs Latite in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Latite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Latite, 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 Latite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Travertine and Latite
Here you can know more about Travertine and Latite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Latite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Latite includes Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Latite, 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, Latite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Latite is Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Latite. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Latite is 5-5.5. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Latite are Rhomb porphyries. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Travertine and Latite is white. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Latite is 0.92 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 Latite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.