Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas
Origin
North America
India
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Brown, Buff, Red
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Banded
Rough and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Laterite
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
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, Regional Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
-9999
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
East Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
England, Romania, Scotland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Rhyolite 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. Rhyolite vs Laterite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Laterite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Laterite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Laterite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Rhyolite in construction industry include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives and that of Laterite include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.
More about Rhyolite and Laterite
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Laterite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Laterite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz 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 Rhyolite vs Laterite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors whereas, Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Laterite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Laterite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Laterite is 2. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. 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 Rhyolite is while that of Laterite is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is 0.71 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.Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Laterite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.