What are the differences between Limestone and Travertine?

Question

I realise that they are both sedimentary rocks and both consist mainly of CaCo3. Also can marble contain a mixture of both dolostone and limstone or is normally found as one or the other?

Answer 1

Travertine:

Type: Chemical sedimentary rock
Class: Carbonatic rock
Appears to have more texture than Limestone.
Used in construction, paving and for creating polished ornamental objects.


Limestone (compact)

Type: Organogenetic sedimentary rock
Class: Calcareous rock
Can be used as a building stone in the form of unfinished blocks and can also be turned into slabs and polished.

Answer 2

Difference Between Limestone And Travertine

Answer 3

Those of us who prefer to not include travertine as a type of limestone do so based on the depositional history and form. Those who do include it as a type of limestone usually base it on chemical composition. My argument on that issue is that then all calcite and calcium carbonate based rock could be called limestone.

It just comes down to whether you are a splitter or a lumper.

Marble is another one of those stones with raging controversy on the nomenclature. Some of the more dense limestones and dolomites are called marble, even if there is no real evidence of metamorphism. Combine that with the fact that there are variable degrees of metamorphism in different marbles, and it makes us splitters wish we were lumpers. I won't even mention that some workers consider some (secondary) dolomites that are actually chemically altered limestone to be metamorphic. So you sometimes end up with partially dolomitized, partially metamorphized rock that is kinda-sorta marble. That's when I fake being chased by bees before being able to answer what type of rock it is. In reality, I ride the fence on these issues, changing sides to suit my purpose (or whim), but one of my professors was practically anal retentive in regard to keeping every little difference in specimens in different categories, and over 20 years later I still can't shake his indoctrination sometimes.

Also, I noticed you used CaCo3 (Calcium Cobalt) instead of CaCO3.... Okay, just joking, that's an easy sort of typo to make. LOL.


You say "tomato", I say "Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme" ....

Answer 4

Somebody said "That's when I fake being chased by bees before being able to answer what type of rock it is."

I love the visualization I got with that one!