Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Origin
Italy
North America
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Grey, White, Light Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Fibrous
Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Types
Not Available
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Features
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Sub-conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Earthy
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Specific Gravity
1.68
2.65-2.67
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
China, India
Africa
Not Yet Found
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Travertine vs Rhyolite 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 Rhyolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Rhyolite. Learn more about Travertine vs Rhyolite in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Rhyolite, 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 Rhyolite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives.
More about Travertine and Rhyolite
Here you can know more about Travertine and Rhyolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Rhyolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Rhyolite, 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, Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Rhyolite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Rhyolite. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Rhyolite is 6-7. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.. 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 Rhyolite is colorless. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Rhyolite is Not Available. 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 Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.