Definition
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas
Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine
History
Origin
India
Germany
Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1
From the name of a town in Harzburg, Germany
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
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
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
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
Laterite
Ultramafic rock
Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, 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
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.
Harzburgite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
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, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Impact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
25.5-6
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/mm2150.00 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/cm33.1-3.4 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
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
Japan, Oman
Africa
East Africa, Western Africa
South Africa
Europe
England, Romania, Scotland
France, Germany, Italy
Others
-
Hawaii Islands, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
-
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
-