Definition
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
Color
Brown, Buff, Red
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Arrowheads, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone, Spear Points, Used to sharpen metal tools and weapons
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Gemstone, In aquifers, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, Manufacture of tools, Pebbles are used in ball mills to grind in ceramics industry, To determine the gold content of jewelry
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.
Novaculite forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The formation of Novaculite can be either of chemical or biological origin.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Quartz, Silicon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, Silicon Dioxide
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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Applicable
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
1.5
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.5-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.7 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
East Africa, Western Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
England, Romania, Scotland
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Laterite vs Novaculite 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 Novaculite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Laterite and Properties of Novaculite. Learn more about Laterite vs Novaculite in the next section. The interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Novaculite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Laterite and Novaculite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Laterite in construction industry include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Novaculite include Arrowheads, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone, Spear points, Used to sharpen metal tools and weapons.
More about Laterite and Novaculite
Here you can know more about Laterite and Novaculite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Novaculite 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 Novaculite includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Novaculite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Novaculite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Novaculite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Novaculite. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Novaculite is 7. The types of Laterite are Not Available whereas types of Novaculite are Not Available. 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 Novaculite is colorless. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is Not Available and that of Novaculite is 0.74 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 Novaculite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.
