Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture
Origin
Italy
Tonale, Italy
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard 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
Phaneritic
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Fibrous
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving 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 Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Dacite
Features
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.
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
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not 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.
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
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
Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Specific Gravity
1.68
2.86-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3
2.73 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
Not Yet Found
Africa
Not Yet Found
Egypt
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Travertine vs Tonalite 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 Tonalite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Tonalite. Learn more about Travertine vs Tonalite in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tonalite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Tonalite, 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 Tonalite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Travertine and Tonalite
Here you can know more about Travertine and Tonalite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Tonalite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Tonalite, 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, Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Tonalite. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Tonalite is 6-7. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Tonalite are Dacite. 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 Tonalite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Tonalite is 0.92 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 Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.