Definition
Latite is an igneous, volcanic rock, with aphanitic-aphyric to aphyric-porphyritic texture
Hornblendite is a type of igneous plutonic rock consisting mainly of amphibole hornblende and is a type of Amphibolite rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the Latin word latium
From German, Horn horn + blende
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough
Foliated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Metallurgical Flux, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Rhomb porphyries
Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Latite 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.
Hornblendite 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.
Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Calcite, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Wollastonite
Compound Content
CaO, Cl, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular to Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.5
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
-
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Bulgaria
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
South Australia, Western Australia