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Laterite and Epidosite


Epidosite 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   
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt   

History
  
  

Origin
India   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1   
Not Available   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic   
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   

Color
Brown, Buff, Red   
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Rough and Banded   
Dull and Soft   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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   
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock   
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   
Epidosite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.   

Composition
  
  

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

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
No   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Not Applicable   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2   
6   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Applicable   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.3   

Specific Gravity
Not Available   
2.8-3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India   
India, Russia   

Africa
East Africa, Western Africa   
South Africa   

Europe
England, Romania, Scotland   
Iceland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Laterite and Epidosite Properties

Know all about Laterite and Epidosite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Epidosite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic whereas that of Epidosite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Laterite appears Rough and Banded and Epidosite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Laterite is dull while that of Epidosite is not available. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums and that of Epidosite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

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