Diabase

Laterite

Diabase and Laterite

Diabase

Laterite

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Definition

Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar

Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas

History

Origin

Germany

India

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton

Etymology

From Greek di + base

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic, Granular

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic

Color

Dark Grey to Black

Brown, Buff, Red

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums

Types

Dolerite

Laterite

Features

Smooth to touch

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.

Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine

Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

Black

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²5.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

1.6

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.87-9999

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

East Africa, Western Africa

Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

England, Romania, Scotland

Others

Antarctica, Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Diabase and Laterite Properties

Know all about Diabase and Laterite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diabase belongs to Igneous Rocks while Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular whereas that of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic. Diabase appears Vesicular and Laterite appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Diabase is while that of Laterite is dull. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors. The commercial uses of Diabase are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums.