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Laterite vs Gossan


Gossan 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   
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.   

History
  
  

Origin
India   
Indonesia   

Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton   
Cornish Gossen   

Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1   
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic   
Rough, Sandy   

Color
Brown, Buff, Red   
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Rough and Banded   
Dull and Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

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

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2   
4-5   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine to Medium Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Metallic   

Cleavage
Not Applicable   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
Not Available   
2.0   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.24 kJ/Kg K   
24

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India   
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea   

Africa
East Africa, Western Africa   
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa   

Europe
England, Romania, Scotland   
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia   
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia   

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Laterite vs Gossan 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 Gossan Reserves. Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.. 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 Gossan information and Laterite vs Gossan characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Laterite and Gossan

Here you can know more about Laterite and Gossan. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Gossan 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 Gossan includes Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Gossan, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Gossan is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Gossan. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Gossan is 4-5. The types of Laterite are Not Available whereas types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan. 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 Gossan is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is Not Available and that of Gossan is 0.24 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 Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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