Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Latite is an igneous, volcanic rock, with aphanitic-aphyric to aphyric-porphyritic texture
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
From the Latin word latium
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vesicular
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Rough
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
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
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
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, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Metallurgical Flux, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Scoria
Rhomb porphyries
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Host Rock for Lead
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.
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.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Cl, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical 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
Very Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
-
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
-
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Bulgaria
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
-
Pumice vs Latite 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 Latite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Latite. Learn more about Pumice vs Latite in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Latite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Latite, 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 Latite 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.
More about Pumice and Latite
Here you can know more about Pumice and Latite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Latite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Latite includes Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Latite, 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, Latite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Latite is Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Latite. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Latite is 5-5.5. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Latite are Rhomb porphyries. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pumice and Latite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Latite 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 Latite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.