What is lateritic weathering?
Tropical weathering (laterization) is a prolonged process of chemical weathering which produces a wide variety in the thickness, grade, chemistry and ore mineralogy of the resulting soils. The majority of the land area containing laterites is between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
How are lateritic rocks formed?
Lateritic rocks are formed through chemical weathering. The iron in these rocks reacts with the oxygen in the atmosphere resulting in the formation of iron oxide and rusting the rocks from within. This chemical reaction decomposes the rocks from within and results in its weathering.
What are laterites and lateritic soils give their location and characteristic features?
(i) Laterite Soils are leached Soils because alternating dry and wet spells cause the soluble silica to be removed. (ii) These Soils are acidic in nature and coarse and crumbly in texture. (iv) In the upper layers, the compounds of iron and aluminium become higher giving a reddish colour to the Soil.
Where are laterites found?
Laterite (from the Latin word later, meaning “brick” or “tile”) is a surface formation that is enriched in iron and aluminum. Found mainly in hot, wet tropical areas, it develops by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock.
What is the difference between laterite and lateritic soil?
laterite, soil layer that is rich in iron oxide and derived from a wide variety of rocks weathering under strongly oxidizing and leaching conditions. Lateritic soils may contain clay minerals; but they tend to be silica-poor, for silica is leached out by waters passing through the soil.
Which minerals are found in lateritic rocks?
Laterites consist mainly of the minerals kaolinite, goethite, hematite, and gibbsite, which form in the course of weathering. Many laterites also contain quartz since it can be a relatively stable mineral of the parent rock.
Are lateritic rocks formed through exfoliation?
Lateritic rocks are formed through exfoliation – This statement is False. Correction : For the activity of chemical weathering lateritic rocks are formed.
What is the difference between laterite and Lateritic soil?
What are the landforms associated with laterites?
Landforms related to laterites appear in the humid tropics and in semiarid zones adjacent to savanna regions. Landforms mostly result from fluvial incision of lateritic deposits, which produce tabular forms capped by laterites. These can last for long periods of time due to the high resistance of laterites to erosion.
How laterites are formed?
The laterite soil is formed under conditions of high temperature and heavy rainfall with alternate wet and dry periods, which leads to leaching of soil, leaving only oxides of iron and aluminum.
How lateritic soils are formed?
The laterite soil is formed under conditions of high temperature and heavy rainfall with alternate wet and dry periods, which leads to leaching of soil, leaving only oxides of iron and aluminum. It lacks fertility due to a lower base-exchanging capacity and a lower content of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Why laterite soil is called laterite?
The term laterite is derived from Latin word ‘Later’ which means brick. The laterite soil is rich in aluminum and iron as well as this cemented soil can be easily cut into the bricks. This is why the laterite soil is called laterite.
Is lateritic weathering related to chemical weathering?
Lateritic weathering is only one relevant process wich is active in the superficial zone of tropical regions. Erosion or denudation, respectively, contribute equally to an alteration at the surface together with deposition of material by water and wind. Not each variation in lateritic profiles can be attributed to chemical weathering.
What is tropical weathering and laterization?
Tropical weathering (laterization) is a prolonged process of chemical weathering which produces a wide variety in the thickness, grade, chemistry and ore mineralogy of the resulting soils. The majority of the land area containing laterites is between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn .
What is laterite soil?
Laterite is a reddish weathering product of basalt. At least this is what it is in India where this rock or a soil type was first defined by a Scottish scientist Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in 1807. However, not all laterites are enriched in iron and sometimes they are not even reddish.
How does a rock become a laterite?
These minerals together with relicts of partially dissolved quartz form the bulk of laterites. The transformation of rock into laterite proceeds in general gradually as indicated by the steady increase of iron and decrease of silica in laterite profiles above the parent rock.