Neuville Travertine

You are now in a small disused quarry. Below you, you will see water emerging from the earth at different points. If you look closely, at the foot of the springs, you will see a new type of rock, known as travertine. The Neuville site consists of a series of small springs of highly mineralised water that are actively depositing travertine. The travertine, which in this instance could also be described as calcareous tufa, is still at a very early stage, still very soft and rich in plant debris. It is very fragile, and walking on it would destroy it, which is why visitors are asked not to walk anywhere near the springs.

Good to know : Travertine is a porous sedimentary continental rock created when a crust of limestone is deposited on vegetation. The term calcareous tufa is used to describe travertines that are still very soft (not to be confused with volcanic tufa). Travertineis deposited at certain springs (incrusting springs) and sometimes in shallow watercourses with small waterfalls. When the highly mineralised water (rich in calcium and magnesium carbonate) reaches the surface, it releases CO2, causing limestone to precipitate. The spongy appearance of the rock is partly due to the disappearance of plant debris, incrusted by the calcite, as it ferments. Some particularly hard travertines, such as those quarried in Tivoli in Lazio Roma, is hard enough to be used for construction (it was used, for example, in the building of the Colosseum). Other younger and softer forms, like that of Neuville, are highly fragile.