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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  
-  

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
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
-  
-  

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
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
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  

Compressive Strength
5.00 N/mm2  
99+
180.00 N/mm2  
18

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
-9999  
2.62-2.82  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
2.7-4 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
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  
-  

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  

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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 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.

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