Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas
Discoverer
Unknown
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vesicular
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic
Color
Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Brown, Buff, Red
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Vesicular
Rough and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Powder
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Medical Industry
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Planar
Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.86
-9999
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
India
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
East Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
England, Romania, Scotland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
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Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Pumice vs Laterite 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. Pumice vs Laterite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Laterite. Learn more about Pumice vs Laterite in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Laterite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pumice in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks and that of Laterite include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.
More about Pumice and Laterite
Here you can know more about Pumice and Laterite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Laterite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Laterite includes Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Laterite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas, Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Laterite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Laterite. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Laterite is 2. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Laterite are Laterite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pumice and Laterite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Laterite 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.Pumice is impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Laterite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.