Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Dark Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Fibrous
Glassy
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
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, 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
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
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
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
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, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA
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.
Tachylite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Feldspar, Olivine
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Fe, Mg
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, 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
Resinous
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Toughness
1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
1.68
2.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3
3.058 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
Africa
Not Yet Found
East Africa
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Others
Not Yet Found
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Victoria
Travertine vs Tachylite 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 Tachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Tachylite. Learn more about Travertine vs Tachylite in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Tachylite, 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 Tachylite include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers.
More about Travertine and Tachylite
Here you can know more about Travertine and Tachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Tachylite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Tachylite, 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, Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Tachylite is Glassy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Tachylite. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Tachylite is 5.5. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Tachylite are Not Available. 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 Tachylite is vermilion. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Tachylite is 0.56 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 Tachylite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.