Laterite

Kimberlite

Laterite and Kimberlite

Laterite

Kimberlite

Add ⊕

Definition

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

Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.

History

Origin

India

Kimberley, South Africa

Discoverer

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton

John W. Judd

Etymology

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1

From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic

Porphyritic

Color

Brown, Buff, Red

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Banded

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

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

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Laterite

Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites

Features

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

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

Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

26-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fine to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

5.00 N/mm²260.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Conchoidal

Toughness

Specific Gravity

-99992.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.95-2.96 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

Russia

Africa

East Africa, Western Africa

Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa

Europe

England, Romania, Scotland

England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom

Others

Antarctica

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

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

All about Laterite and Kimberlite Properties

Know all about Laterite and Kimberlite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Kimberlite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic whereas that of Kimberlite is Porphyritic. Laterite appears Rough and Banded and Kimberlite appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Laterite is dull while that of Kimberlite is subvitreous to dull. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas Kimberlite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums and that of Kimberlite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).