Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
History
Origin
Italy
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
58% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
61% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
42% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
36% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
19% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Appearance
Fibrous
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
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, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Types
Thermal Travertine and Tufa
Features
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
Present
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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
17% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Types of Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
78% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
86% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Streak
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Compressive Strength
80.00 N/mm2
Rank: 33 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
1
Specific Gravity
1.68
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
2.71 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
1.09 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 8 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Russia
Africa
-
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-