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Travertine
Travertine

Marble
Marble



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Travertine
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Travertine vs Marble

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Definition

Definition

Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time

History

Origin

Italy
Egypt

Discoverer

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Unknown

Etymology

From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
From the Greek marmaros, shining stone and also from the English word marmoreal meaning marble-like

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Banded
Granular

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Fibrous
Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

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
As Dimension Stone

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Paper Industry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Types

Thermal Travertine and Tufa
Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble

Features

Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Capitol Hill Building, Washington DC, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Ephesus in Turkey, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Louvre in Paris, France, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, Parthenon in Greece, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Qutb Minar in India, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower of Pisa, Italy, Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India, Washington Monument, US

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Bust of Artemis, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lincoln Memorial in America

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Present
Absent

Formation

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.
Marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone in the earth crust. It is formed by the metamorphism of limestone.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-43-4
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Medium Grained

Fracture

Splintery
-

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm2115.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
Perfect

Toughness

1
-

Specific Gravity

1.682.86-2.87
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.71 g/cm32.4-2.7 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.09 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Russia
China, India

Africa

-
Namibia

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Italy, Spain

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
-

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
-

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

-
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

Travertine vs Marble 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 Marble Reserves. Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters. Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time. 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 Marble information and Travertine vs Marble characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Travertine vs Marble 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 Marble characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Marble. Learn more about Travertine vs Marble in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Marble include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Marble, 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 Marble include As dimension stone.

More about Travertine and Marble

Here you can know more about Travertine and Marble. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Marble consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Marble includes Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Marble, 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, Marble is available in black, blue, brown, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Marble is Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Marble. Hardness of Travertine and Marble is 3-4. The types of Travertine are Thermal Travertine and Tufa whereas types of Marble are Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Travertine and Marble is white. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Marble is 0.88 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 Marble is heat resistant.