Definition
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Alexandre Brongniart
Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1
From Amphibole + -ite
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Color
Brown, Buff, Red
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Foliated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Hornblendite
Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
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
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular to Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Vitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Not Applicable
Irregular
Toughness
Not Available
2.3
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.5
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
Russia, Turkey
Africa
East Africa, Western Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
England, Romania, Scotland
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
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
South Australia, Western Australia
Laterite vs Amphibolite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Laterite vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Laterite and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Laterite vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Laterite and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Laterite in construction industry include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.
More about Laterite and Amphibolite
Here you can know more about Laterite and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Laterite includes Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Amphibolite. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Laterite are Not Available whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Laterite is white while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is Not Available and that of Amphibolite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Laterite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.