Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities
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 late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded
Vesicular
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red
Maintenance
Less
More
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Fibrous
Glassy and Vesicular
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills
Types
Thermal Travertine and Tufa
Basaltic Scoria and Andesitic Scoria
Features
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Surfaces are often shiny
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
Absent
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.
Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.
Composition
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Ca, NaCl
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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, Glacier Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3-45-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
80.00 N/mm270.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Perfect
Toughness
1
2.1
Specific Gravity
1.68-9999
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
1.09 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
-
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New Zealand, Western Australia