Definition
Latite is an igneous, volcanic rock, with aphanitic-aphyric to aphyric-porphyritic texture
Lamprophyre is uncommon igneous rocks primarily occurring as dikes, lopoliths, laccoliths, stocks and small intrusions
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the Latin word latium
From Greek lampros bright and shining + porphureos purple
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, 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, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Metallurgical Flux, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Rhomb porphyries
Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, 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.
Lamprophyre formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
CaO, Cl, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Perfect
Conchoidal
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Translucent
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
-
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Bulgaria
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Others
-
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
-
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Latite vs Lamprophyre 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. Latite vs Lamprophyre characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Latite and Properties of Lamprophyre. Learn more about Latite vs Lamprophyre in the next section. The interior uses of Latite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Lamprophyre include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Latite and Lamprophyre, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Latite in construction industry include 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 and that of Lamprophyre include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Latite and Lamprophyre
Here you can know more about Latite and Lamprophyre. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Latite and Lamprophyre consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Latite includes Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Lamprophyre includes Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Latite vs Lamprophyre, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Latite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Lamprophyre is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Latite is Rough and that of Lamprophyre is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Latite vs Lamprophyre. The hardness of Latite is 5-5.5 and that of Lamprophyre is 5-6. The types of Latite are Rhomb porphyries whereas types of Lamprophyre are Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Latite and Lamprophyre is white. The specific heat capacity of Latite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Lamprophyre is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Latite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Lamprophyre is heat resistant, impact resistant.