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Laterite vs Anorthosite


Anorthosite vs 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   
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase   

History
  
  

Origin
India   
Unknown   

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
Not Applicable   
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
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

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
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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
Not Available   
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
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not 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.   
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
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2   
5-6   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Irregular   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Pearly to Subvitreous   

Cleavage
Not Applicable   
Irregular   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
Not Available   
2.62-2.82   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
Not Available   
2.7-4 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
East Africa, Western Africa   
Not Yet Found   

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

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Bolivia, Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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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.

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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 Not Available 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 Not Available 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.

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