Travertine
Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57175365" class="extiw" title="d:Q57175365"><span title="German-American photographer, Wikipedian, and Executive Director of the Wiki Education Foundation">Frank Schulenburg</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mineral NameTravertine
Chemical FormulaCaCO3
Mohs Hardness3
Crystal Systemtrigonal
Lusterearthy
Streak ColorWhite
CleavagePerfect rhombohedral (for calcite)
FractureUneven to conchoidal
Specific Gravity2.71
Colorswhite, cream, tan, brown, reddish-brown
TransparencyOpaque to translucent
Type LocalityMammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
Mineral GroupCarbonates
Usesbuilding material, decorative stone, sculpture
Associated Mineralscalcite, aragonite, iron oxides
Raritycommon
Description
The image displays extensive, layered terraces of porous rock, predominantly white and cream, with significant sections showing vibrant orange and reddish-brown coloration, indicative of mineral-rich hot spring deposits.
Geological Context
Travertine is a form of limestone that forms through the rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate from geothermally heated, supersaturated groundwater as it emerges at the Earth's surface, typically in hot springs and caves.
