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Laterite
Laterite

Anorthosite
Anorthosite



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Laterite vs Anorthosite

Definition

Definition

Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

History

Origin

India
-

Discoverer

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Unknown

Etymology

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic
Foliated, Glassy

Color

Brown, Buff, Red
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Banded
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Types

Types

Laterite
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Present
Absent

Formation

Formation

Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.

Composition

Mineral Content

Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

25-6
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Irregular

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Dull
Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

5.00 N/mm2180.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
-

Specific Gravity

-99992.62-2.82
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent

Density

-9999 g/cm32.7-4 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India
-

Africa

East Africa, Western Africa
-

Europe

England, Romania, Scotland
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada

South America

-
Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

Laterite vs Anorthosite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Laterite and Anorthosite Reserves. Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Laterite vs Anorthosite information and Laterite vs Anorthosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Laterite vs Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Laterite and Properties of Anorthosite. Learn more about Laterite vs Anorthosite in the next section. The interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Laterite and Anorthosite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Laterite in construction industry include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Anorthosite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate.

More about Laterite and Anorthosite

Here you can know more about Laterite and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Anorthosite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Laterite are Laterite whereas types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Laterite and Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. 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 Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.