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
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
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Fibrous
Glassy and Vesicular
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
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
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
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills
Types
Not Available
Not Available
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
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.
Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.
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
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Perfect
Specific Gravity
1.68
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
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
Not Yet Found
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
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
Not Yet Found
New Zealand, Western Australia
Travertine vs Scoria 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 Scoria characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Scoria. Learn more about Travertine vs Scoria in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Scoria include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Scoria, 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 Scoria include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works.
More about Travertine and Scoria
Here you can know more about Travertine and Scoria. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Scoria consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Scoria includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Scoria, 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, Scoria is available in black, brown, dark grey to black, red colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Scoria is Glassy and Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Scoria. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Scoria is 5-6. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Scoria are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Travertine and Scoria is white. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Scoria 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 Scoria is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.