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Wehrlite and Laterite


Laterite and Wehrlite


Definition

Definition
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites  
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas  

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt  
India  

Discoverer
Alois Wehrle  
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton  

Etymology
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle  
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
-  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Banded  
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic  

Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green  
Brown, Buff, Red  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Banded  
Rough and Banded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, 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  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones  
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums  

Types

Types
Ultramafic rock  
Laterite  

Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock  
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Wehrlite 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.  
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Pyroxene  
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6  
2  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Irregular  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Metallic  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
100.00 N/mm2  
29
5.00 N/mm2  
99+

Cleavage
Perfect  
-  

Toughness
2.1  
-  

Specific Gravity
8.4  
-9999  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.6-3.7 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.63 kJ/Kg K  
26
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey  
India  

Africa
Morocco, South Africa  
East Africa, Western Africa  

Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland  
England, Romania, Scotland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Brazil  
-  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia  
Central Australia, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Wehrlite and Laterite Properties

Know all about Wehrlite and Laterite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Wehrlite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Wehrlite is Banded whereas that of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic. Wehrlite appears Rough and Banded and Laterite appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Wehrlite is metallic while that of Laterite is dull. Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors whereas Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors. The commercial uses of Wehrlite are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums.

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