Travertines

Travertines are located next to the Cross Pass, on the Georgian Military Road. Travertine is a calcareous tuff, consisting mainly of aragonite. The color is given by impurities, in this case iron, so it is red. You can try the water, it's clean, but it smells strongly of iron.

 

Travertine is a sedimentary rock formed as a result of precipitation of calcium carbonate from water solutions. There are extensive travertine formations in the Truso Gorge that have been formed over the years.

 

Travertine formations are characterized by amazing shapes and textures. Water penetrating through porous rock layers creates beautiful and complex structures of deposited calcium.

 

One of the greatest features of travertine is its colorfulness. It can have various shades, including white, cream, yellow and brown, depending on the mineral impurities and chemical elements present in the calcium precipitating water.

 

Travertine is a unique ecosystem that supports a variety of plants and animals. Due to the constant precipitation of water and the availability of food resources, many plants live in the vicinity of travertine, including lichens, mosses and various plant species that have adapted to such conditions.

 

For travertine to occur, several conditions must be strictly observed. Even if one of these conditions is violated, travertine will cease to exist, will die. A prerequisite for the appearance of travertine is the presence of a gentle slope and a constant flow of mineral water in a thin layer. Only when these conditions are met, the minerals suspended in water manage to settle on the surface and form the thinnest petrified mineral crust, which gradually grows and turns into a lattice.

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