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Laterite
Laterite

Dunite
Dunite



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Laterite
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Laterite vs Dunite

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Definition

Definition

Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine

History

Origin

India
New Zealand

Discoverer

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Etymology

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -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
Phaneritic

Color

Brown, Buff, Red
Dark Greenish - Grey

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Banded
Rough and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds

Types

Types

Laterite
Dunite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, 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.
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.

Composition

Mineral Content

Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

23.5-4
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Irregular

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Dull
Shiny

Compressive Strength

5.00 N/mm2107.55 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
2.1

Specific Gravity

-99993-3.01
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent to Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm32.84-2.85 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K1.25 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
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey

Africa

East Africa, Western Africa
Morocco, South Africa

Europe

England, Romania, Scotland
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada, USA

South America

-
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia

Laterite vs Dunite 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 Dunite Reserves. Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine. 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 Dunite information and Laterite vs Dunite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Laterite and Dunite

Here you can know more about Laterite and Dunite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Dunite 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 Dunite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Dunite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Dunite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Dunite. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Dunite is 3.5-4. The types of Laterite are Laterite whereas types of Dunite are Dunite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Laterite and Dunite is white. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Dunite is 1.25 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 Dunite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.