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Hornfels vs Laterite


Laterite vs Hornfels


Definition

Definition
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock   
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas   

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand   
India   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton   

Etymology
From German which means hornstone   
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Granular, Platy   
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic   

Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown   
Brown, Buff, Red   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
No   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull   
Rough and Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Biotite hornfels   
Not Available   

Features
Smooth to touch   
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   

Composition
  
  

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

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3   
2   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Unknown   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Shiny   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
5.80 N/mm2   
31
Not Available   

Cleavage
Perfect   
Not Applicable   

Toughness
Not Yet Found   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9   
Not Available   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand   
India   

Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa   
East Africa, Western Africa   

Europe
United Kingdom   
England, Romania, Scotland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   
Central Australia, Western Australia   

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Hornfels vs Laterite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Hornfels and Laterite Reserves. Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock. Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Hornfels vs Laterite information and Hornfels vs Laterite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Hornfels vs Laterite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Hornfels vs Laterite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Laterite. Learn more about Hornfels vs Laterite in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Laterite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Laterite include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.

More about Hornfels and Laterite

Here you can know more about Hornfels and Laterite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Laterite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Laterite includes Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Laterite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors whereas, Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Laterite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Laterite. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Laterite is 2. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Laterite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Hornfels is unknown while that of Laterite is white. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Laterite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Laterite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.

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