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Laterite vs Tonalite


Tonalite 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  
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture  

History
  
  

Origin
India  
Tonale, Italy  

Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton  
Warren Hamilton  

Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1  
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Plutonic  

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic  
Phaneritic  

Color
Brown, Buff, Red  
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White  

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  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Banded  
Banded and Foilated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, 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, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Laterite  
Dacite  

Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock  
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2  
6-7  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
Bluish Black  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Very Less Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Subvitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
5.00 N/mm2  
99+
185.00 N/mm2  
17

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
2.1  

Specific Gravity
-9999  
2.86-3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
2.73 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India  
-  

Africa
East Africa, Western Africa  
Egypt  

Europe
England, Romania, Scotland  
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
USA  

South America
-  
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia  
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia  

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Laterite vs Tonalite 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 Tonalite Reserves. Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture. 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 Tonalite information and Laterite vs Tonalite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Laterite and Tonalite

Here you can know more about Laterite and Tonalite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Tonalite 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 Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Tonalite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Tonalite. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Tonalite is 6-7. The types of Laterite are Laterite whereas types of Tonalite are Dacite. 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 Tonalite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Tonalite 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 Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.

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