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.
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
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic
Rough, Sandy
Color
Brown, Buff, Red
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Dull and Banded
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
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
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
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
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
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
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Not Applicable
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.0
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
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
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.
