Home
Compare Rocks


Arkose and Shale


Shale and Arkose


Definition

Definition
Arkose is a sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar  
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles  

History
  
  

Origin
France  
-  

Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart  
Johann Gottlob Lehmann  

Etymology
From Auvergne region of France used by a French geologist Alexandre Brongniart in 1826 who applied this term to some feldspathic sandstones  
From German Schalstein laminated limestone, and Schalgebirge layer of stone in stratified rock. From Old English scealu in its base sense of- thing that divides or separate,  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic  
Clastic, Splintery  

Color
Reddish Brown  
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow  

Maintenance
Less  
More  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Dull  
Muddy  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar  
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones  
Creating Artwork, Pottery  

Types

Types
Arkose  
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale  

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock  
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
Jantar Mantar in India  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Arkose rock forms from the weathering of feldspar-rich igneous or metamorphic rock, most commonly granitic rocks, which are primarily composed of quartz and feldspar.  
Shale forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are later compacted hence forming shale.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz  
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide  
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
3  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
-  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
80.00 N/mm2  
33
95.00 N/mm2  
30

Cleavage
-  
Slaty  

Toughness
-  
2.6  

Specific Gravity
0  
2.2-2.8  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
2.4-2.8 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.78 kJ/Kg K  
18
0.39 kJ/Kg K  
30

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan  
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania  

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  

Others
Greenland  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
USA  

South America
Brazil  
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Arkose and Shale Properties

Know all about Arkose and Shale properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Arkose and Shale belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Arkose is Clastic whereas that of Shale is Clastic, Splintery. Arkose appears Rough and Dull and Shale appears Muddy. The luster of Arkose and Shale is dull. Arkose is available in reddish brown colors whereas Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Arkose are in aquifers, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones and that of Shale are creating artwork, pottery.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

» More Sedimentary Rocks

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

» More Compare Sedimentary Rocks