Variolite

Travertine

Variolite and Travertine

Variolite

Travertine

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Definition

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance

Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters

History

Origin

France

Italy

Discoverer

Unknown

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Etymology

From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Banded

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Fibrous

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery

Types

Metamorphic rock

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock

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

Absent

Present

Formation

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

63-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Splintery

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

37.50 N/mm²80.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.8-31.68

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³2.71 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K1.09 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

China, Russia

Africa

South Africa

Europe

Iceland

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

All about Variolite and Travertine Properties

Know all about Variolite and Travertine properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Variolite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Variolite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Travertine is Banded. Variolite appears Dull and Soft and Travertine appears Fibrous. The luster of Variolite is while that of Travertine is dull to pearly. Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Variolite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery.