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Laterite and Conglomerate


Conglomerate and Laterite


Definition

Definition
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas  
Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock which forms from rounded gravel and boulder sized clasts which are cemented together in a matrix  

History
  
  

Origin
India  
Italy  

Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1  
From Latin conglomeratus, to roll together, i.e. from com together + glomerare to gather into a ball, from glomus (genitive glomeris) a ball  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic  
Clastic  

Color
Brown, Buff, Red  
Beige, Black, Brown, Buff, Light to Dark Grey, Orange, Rust, White, Yellow  

Maintenance
Less  
More  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
No  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Banded  
Shiny and Rounded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Roof Tiles  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums  
Cemetery Markers, In aquifers, Tombstones  

Types

Types
Laterite  
Orthoconglomerate and Paraconglomerate  

Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   
Conglomerate forms where sediments consisting mainly of pebble and cobble-size clasts at least two millimeters in diameter starts accumulating.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2  
2-3  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Uneven  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
5.00 N/mm2  
99+
70.00 N/mm2  
35

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
-9999  
2.86-2.88  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
1.7-2.3 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India  
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan  

Africa
East Africa, Western Africa  
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  

Europe
England, Romania, Scotland  
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
-  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Laterite and Conglomerate Properties

Know all about Laterite and Conglomerate properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Laterite and Conglomerate belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic whereas that of Conglomerate is Clastic. Laterite appears Rough and Banded and Conglomerate appears Shiny and Rounded. The luster of Laterite and Conglomerate is dull. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas Conglomerate is available in beige, black, brown, buff, light to dark grey, orange, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums and that of Conglomerate are cemetery markers, in aquifers, tombstones.

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