Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Sovite is a coarse-grained variety of carbonatite which belongs to intrusive igneous rock
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
Not Available
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Fibrous
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building 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, Unknown, Unknown
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
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, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
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
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.
Sovites are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Specific Gravity
1.68
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3
2.84-2.86 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Not Yet Found
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, New Zealand
Travertine vs Sovite 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 Sovite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Sovite. Learn more about Travertine vs Sovite in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Sovite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Sovite, 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 Sovite 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, Unknown, Unknown.
More about Travertine and Sovite
Here you can know more about Travertine and Sovite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Sovite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Sovite includes Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Sovite, 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, Sovite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Sovite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Sovite. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Sovite is 3. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Sovite 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 Sovite is white. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Sovite 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 Sovite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.