Talk:Laterite

Introduction
((((this note was unsigned:I wish I knew the coefficient of friction of laterite...))))Bettymnz4 (talk) 03:56, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

I've been studying history this winter and when I come upon a word I don't recognize, I look it up in Wikipedia. I didn't know what laterite was so I looked it up on April 6. I saw the article could use some help.

I rewrote the article, used footnotes and have a lot more content and photos than the article did before. I've changed the class from 'start' to 'B'. I see that I don't have a higher option for this wikiproject area. I was going to rate this as a 'B' because I don't know if wikipedians will consider the article as being a thorough coverage of laterite. I used examples from all over the world in different parts of the article.

Does anyone think I should go for a peer review, then good article (I have one under my belt!!!!), and then feature article? I'm willing to refine the article, but not do too much more research.Bettymnz4 (talk) 03:56, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

I want this in hindi language Neelam seth (talk) 18:54, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

laterite-gossan differences
Apart from the high rich FeOx content of both and either aluminium/nickel content of laterites how can you tell the difference, terminologically? Any idea?

Laterites are formed from silicate minerals, gossans from sulphide minerals. Pretty clear cut.Rolinator

I will work on this article
I have copy-and-pasted this article to my user page and will work on it there. I've begun some research and can see possibilities of expanding the article with verifiable sources. When I'm done, I'll copy-and paste (or merge, whichever is best; I haven't researched that procedure yet) my version into this article's page. It usually takes me 4 - 6 weeks to revamp an article.Bettymnz4 (talk) 19:05, 6 April 2010 (UTC)
 * I plan to:

Bettymnz4 (talk) 17:28, 18 April 2010 (UTC)
 * 1) rename this article to Laterite rocks, so I can merge it with "my" article named Laterite
 * 2) No material from this article will now be cut-and-pasted into "my"article (I did this before working on the article)
 * 3) I will then follow the remaining steps for merging
 * Stop, no merge, no move, I think it is ok so. User:Schellat proposed some improvements on User talk:Vsmith.
 * Mechanical weathering results in lateritic sediments, exolaterites, false laterites and laterite derivative facies. Ref: An Introduction on Laterite
 * Laterites on mafic (basalt, gabbro) and on ultramafic rocks (serpentinite, peridotite, dunite).


 * Laterites on acidic rocks. In this group not only granites and granitic gneisses but also many sediments as clays, shales and sandstone shall be included. These rocks contain quartz and have higher silica and lower iron contents.


 * --Chris.urs-o (talk) 16:35, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

From my talk page: Hello, I am the author of an previous Wikipedia article on laterite,which was totally deleted by Bettymnz4 and replaced by her owwn text. Although her statements are carefully documented by references from the Internet, I find many serious mistakes in her article together with subordinate statements and a lack of essential information. I could try to remove these defects but I do not want to start an edit war. I would like to discuss this matter with you in some detail by e-mail (address removed for privacy concerns). In the website www.laterite.de you can find further information. Best regards from Germany, Schellat (talk) 19:24, 11 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Er... we don't "own" articles here. I haven't looked at the laterite article lately, but as I recall she did some pretty good work. Of course, there may be errors to correct and improvements to be made, so have at it. Don't see any need for email - the article talk page is the place to point out potential problems and discuss solutions. Took a quick scan of your website - will look closer later. Vsmith (talk) 22:34, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

I could not find your e-mail address, therefore I present some corrections and suggestions here: Laterites are not formed by mechanical weathering but by chemical action only. They do not cover one third of the continental area of the earth but much less. Bauxites do not consist largely of clay minerals and aluminium hydroxides but of gibbsite, goethite, hematite and frequently quartz (if derived from quartz-bearing rocks). Kaolinite percentage of bauxite ores must be low, because it impairs aluminium extraction. Bauxites are not sedimentary rocks, but a variety of laterite with high aluminium contents. Granites, gabbros and peridotites were never volcanic rocks but (plutonic) igneous rocks. Sulfates of iron and aluminium are meaningless in laterites. There are no links to the Wikipedia articles on bauxite and nickel laterite deposits although they are much more informative than the respective statements in the laterite article. I recommend to delete the chapters on road building, water supply and water treatment, because they are only of local interest. On the other hand the information on genesis, composition and varieties of laterites should be broadened.

Laterite is a much disputed matter early from the beginning 200 years ago and even today definition and genetic aspects are still disputed among involved geoscientists. Bettymnz frankly revealed in her talk page that laterite was unknown to her before she read my short Wikipedia article and decided to delete and rewrite it. Well, for a total laywoman her article is not bad which she obviously wrote on the basis of a Google research. The peer review by Ruhrfisch only produced some formal improvements. All together, it is very problematic,if laymen interfere in difficult scientific topics and not a good publicity for Wikipedia. Good luck with laterite! Schellat (talk) 12:25, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Above copied from my talk page. See also: bauxite and nickel laterite deposits. Vsmith (talk) 16:51, 15 December 2010 (UTC)


 * If there are factual errors in the Laterite article, please do correct them. I included uses to have a more complete article; people who don't know what laterite is gain some idea of how it is used. By the way, I did not add the aquarium usage paragraph. As I recall, the original article did not seem scientific to me (I do have a degree in chemistry and physics and do know scientific writing).


 * I agree that there isn't a precise, scientific definition of laterite - I intended to convey that in the article, hence the reference to various compositions. Bettymnz4 (talk) 14:38, 16 December 2010 (UTC)
 * It's ok, seems a difficult controversial subject. --Chris.urs-o (talk) 15:38, 16 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Looks good to me. I've removed the aquarium bit as unsourced, misplaced and trivial. If someone wishes they may add it back in a better context (not an ore) and with good references. Vsmith (talk) 14:24, 17 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Werner Schellmann on Google Scholar author:W Schellmann
 * - -  -  -  --Chris.urs-o (talk) 02:43, 18 December 2010 (UTC)

Rhodic Ferralsols (Yasothon soils)
I live in Yasothon and was bemused when Google turned up scores of references to Rhodic Ferralsols (Yasothon soils) that are wide-spread on the Khorat Plateau and are obviously named after the province. Some time in the past, though I don't recall when or where, I heard that the entire plateau was covered with triple-canopy jungle until about 300 AD, but was clear-cut and turned to laterite during the heyday of the semi-mythical Funan Kingdom. Not being a geologist, I don't know what Rhodic Ferralsols (Yasothon soils) are, or what they might have to do with the clearing of triple-canopy jungles, or the province where I reside, much less with this article. Can anyone help? (They are mentioned on Italian Wiki at Khorat (altopiano) and Suolo ferrallitico, but I don't read Italian, either.) --14:05, 19 December 2010 (UTC)

PS: "Triple-canopy jungle" is not an accepted term, and could even be called a misnomer according to what constitutes a jungle in a tropical rainforest. --Pawyilee (talk) 14:38, 19 December 2010 (UTC)
 * In the FAO soil classification, oxisols are known as ferralsols (Category:Pedology). --Chris.urs-o (talk) 15:17, 19 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Thanks. Thanks. Yasothon soils used to be classified as laterite until confusion developed over just what that is. And the Yasothon soils were formed in the Triassic, long before the plateau uplifted, or the Funanese moved in. Facts on the ground sure do confuse issues! I'm suffering perturbation (geology) big time. --Pawyilee (talk) 17:30, 20 December 2010 (UTC)
 * YW crazy sergeant ;) --Chris.urs-o (talk) 17:45, 20 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Pls edit my crazy changes to Oxisol, and the addition of Yasothon Province Geology. --Pawyilee (talk) 08:45, 23 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Calm down, it's xmas stress ;) --Chris.urs-o (talk) 13:26, 23 December 2010 (UTC)

Laterite vs Latosol
There is another article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latosol ) very similar to this one in the german wikipedia there is only one for both, so maybe one should be deleted-- Christian b219 (talk) 22:56, 23 March 2012 (UTC)

Formation Section
Zircon is not an oxide, but a silicate of zirconium. This is verifiable by following the link to the zircon article. Therefore I shifted it back so the sentence in question would read in part, "Laterites consist mainly of quartz, zircon, and oxides of ...". Sandhillman (talk) 04:19, 24 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Yes, zircon is a silicate, however the current wording is problematic. "..consist mainly of quartz, zircon..." makes it look like they contain lots of zircon. Don't have access to the ref, but as zircon is a trace mineral in granites I'd be dubious about it being abundant in laterites. Same with the oxides of tin and titanium. Yes, those are perhaps concentrated by the leaching of soluble minerals, but "consist mainly of..." seems to need rephrasing. Vsmith (talk) 15:34, 24 March 2013 (UTC)

Rock or soil
This article starts out by referring to laterite as a soil, then refers to it as a rock, then to laterite brickstones, then talks about how it can be cut into stones for masonry and so forth. As a non-geologist, I'm confused, is it a type of soil or a type of rock? I know these sorts of distinctions aren't always clear in the real world, but if this is one of those ill-defined classes then that should be spelled out for those of us in the general audience. To me, if something is resilient enough to cut into slabs that will last thousands of years in architecture, then it's not a soil. If it is just a very compact, non-dispersable soil then that should also be spelled out. Thanks, Mark Marathon (talk) 04:49, 14 June 2014 (UTC)
 * As far as I know laterite is considered a soil, although as it results from deep/intense weathering and re-cementation w/ Al and Fe oxides. As it can be quite compact and "hard" or "rock-like". I've reworded that a bit in the article. Vsmith (talk) 14:48, 14 June 2014 (UTC)

Thank you!!! Bettymnz4 (talk) 16:27, 14 June 2014 (UTC)

Soil picture correct?
This is from "Earth: portrait of a planet" (third edition):

Laterite forms in tropical regions where abundant rainfall drenches the land during the rainy season, and the soil dries up during the dry season. Because so much percolating water passes down through the soil, just about all mineral components get leached out of the soil until onlyinsoluble iron and/or aluminum oxide remains. In fact, so much water passes through the soil that accumulation cannot take place, even at depth, and so this soil has no B-horizon.

Yet the picture displays "soil" as A-horizon (the leaching zone), and Laterite forming in the zone of accumulation? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dbeecham (talk • contribs) 13:14, 9 August 2015 (UTC)

Thanks a lot
Hello dear collegues, thanks for a great contribution about laterites knowledgement. In LabMoDA from Porto Velho, Amazon Brasil, we have researching too about local laterites. Here it occurs like a rock mass in hillocks. We are estimulated to improve our studies in laterites, including geothecniques, and to publish it in soon. Att.LabMoDA.UNIR (talk) 20:24, 11 March 2016 (UTC) LabMoDA

language
Describe in hindi language Neelam seth (talk) 18:53, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
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Definition and physical description section is all messed up
Why are there all these dashes appearing? Because someone just copypasted from a list or something? Also a bunch of superscript numbers next to the refs are appearing. Requires someone to fix. 131.114.9.81 (talk) 10:28, 29 May 2019 (UTC)
 * Removed unsourced "list". Vsmith (talk) 11:40, 29 May 2019 (UTC)

"Stone laterite Borneo" listed at Redirects for discussion
An editor has identified a potential problem with the redirect Stone laterite Borneo and has thus listed it for discussion. This discussion will occur at Redirects for discussion/Log/2022 July 11 until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. –LaundryPizza03 ( d c̄ ) 07:17, 11 July 2022 (UTC)