travertine

travertine

travertine , form of massive calcium carbonate, CaCO 3 , resulting from deposition by springs or rivers. It is often beautifully colored and banded as a result of the presence of iron compounds or other (e.g., organic) impurities. This material is variously known as calc-sinter and calcareous tufa and (when used for decorative purposes) as onyx marble, Mexican onyx, and Egyptian or Oriental alabaster. Travertine is generally less coarse-grained and takes a higher polish than stalactite and stalagmite, which are similar in chemical composition and origin.

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"travertine." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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travertine

travertine. A limestone of almost pure calcium carbonate found at Tivoli (Latin Tibur, hence lapis Tiburtinus—Tiburtine stone) and elsewhere in Italy. Varying in colour from pale buff to orange pink, it is sometimes porous. It has been much used in the buildings of Rome (notably the Colosseum and the colonnade of St Peter's) and has also been employed for outdoor sculpture that does not require a smooth finish, as for example by Bernini in his Triton Fountain in Rome (1642–3).

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IAN CHILVERS. "travertine." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

IAN CHILVERS. "travertine." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-travertine.html

IAN CHILVERS. "travertine." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-travertine.html

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travertine

travertine Calcium carbonate deposited by precipitation from carbonate-saturated waters, particularly from hot springs. Travertine deposits are sometimes massive, but often display a concentric or fibrous internal structure, sometimes building large, concentric, spherical masses. Travertine is also found in cave deposits in the form of stalagmites and stalactites. A porous, sponge-textured form of travertine is referred to as ‘tufa’ or ‘calc-sinter’.

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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "travertine." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "travertine." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-travertine.html

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "travertine." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-travertine.html

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Travertine

Travertine. Ochre-, amber-, or cream-coloured textured limestone (also called a marble), pitted with irregular holes, and with random dark graining, found in the Tiber Valley near Rome, and used since Antiquity for paving, cladding, etc.

Bibliography

W. McKay (1957);
W. Papworth (1892);
Rodolico (1953)

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JAMES STEVENS CURL. "Travertine." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "Travertine." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-Travertine.html

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "Travertine." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-Travertine.html

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travertine

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"travertine." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"travertine." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-travertine.html

"travertine." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-travertine.html

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travertine images
travertine. Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)