Laterite

Obsidian

Laterite vs Obsidian

Laterite

Obsidian

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Definition

Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth

History

Origin

India

Ethiopia

Discoverer

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton

Obsius

Etymology

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic

Glassy

Color

Brown, Buff, Red

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Banded

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Jewellery

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

Types

Laterite

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

Features

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

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.

When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.

Composition

Mineral Content

Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

25-5.5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

5.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

-99992.6-2.7

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

East Africa, Western Africa

Kenya

Europe

England, Romania, Scotland

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand

Laterite vs Obsidian 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 Obsidian Reserves. Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. 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 Obsidian information and Laterite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Laterite vs Obsidian 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 Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Laterite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Laterite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Laterite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Laterite in construction industry include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Laterite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Laterite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Obsidian 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 Obsidian includes . You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Laterite are Laterite whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Laterite and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Obsidian is 0.92 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 Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.