Home
Compare Rocks


Laterite and Scoria


Scoria 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   
Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities   

History
  
  

Origin
India   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1   
From late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung   

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   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic   
Vesicular   

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

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Rough and Banded   
Glassy and Vesicular   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums   
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Surfaces are often shiny   

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.   
Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2   
5-6   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Cleavage
Not Applicable   
Perfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
Not Available   
Not Available   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

Africa
East Africa, Western Africa   
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania   

Europe
England, Romania, Scotland   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia   
New Zealand, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Laterite and Scoria Properties

Know all about Laterite and Scoria properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Scoria belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic whereas that of Scoria is Vesicular. Laterite appears Rough and Banded and Scoria appears Glassy and Vesicular. The luster of Laterite is dull while that of Scoria is subvitreous to dull. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas Scoria is available in black, brown, dark grey to black, red colors. The commercial uses of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums and that of Scoria are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, creating artwork, high-temperature insulation, in gas barbecue grills.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Fossil Rocks

Fossil Rocks

» More Fossil Rocks

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

» More Compare Sedimentary Rocks