Laterite

Shale

Laterite and Shale

Laterite

Shale

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Definition

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

Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles

History

Origin

India

Discoverer

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton

Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Etymology

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1

From German Schalstein laminated limestone, and Schalgebirge layer of stone in stratified rock. From Old English scealu in its base sense of- thing that divides or separate,

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic

Clastic, Splintery

Color

Brown, Buff, Red

Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Banded

Muddy

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums

Creating Artwork, Pottery

Types

Laterite

Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale

Features

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Jantar Mantar in India

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Formation

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

Shale forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are later compacted hence forming shale.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides

Compound Content

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

Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of 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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

5.00 N/mm²95.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

-99992.2-2.8

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.4-2.8 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

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Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

East Africa, Western Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

England, Romania, Scotland

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

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

All about Laterite and Shale Properties

Know all about Laterite and Shale properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Laterite and Shale belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic whereas that of Shale is Clastic, Splintery. Laterite appears Rough and Banded and Shale appears Muddy. The luster of Laterite and Shale is dull. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums and that of Shale are creating artwork, pottery.