Laterite

Basalt

Laterite vs Basalt

Laterite

Basalt

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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

Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth

History

Origin

India

Egypt

Discoverer

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton

Georgius Agricola

Etymology

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1

From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Brown, Buff, Red

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Banded

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums

Types

Laterite

Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

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

Basalt forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

5.00 N/mm²37.40 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

-99992.8-3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.9-3.1 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, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

India, Russia

Africa

East Africa, Western Africa

South Africa

Europe

England, Romania, Scotland

Iceland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

Laterite vs Basalt 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 Basalt Reserves. Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. 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 Basalt information and Laterite vs Basalt characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Laterite and Basalt

Here you can know more about Laterite and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Basalt 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 Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Basalt. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Laterite are Laterite whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. 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 Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt 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 Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.