Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Splintery
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Muddy
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
Types
Not Available
Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
Oil Shale forms on the beds of seas and lakes and its formation starts with the organic debris settling and accumulating at the bottom of a lake or sea which are then transformed into rock with the help of high temperature and pressure.
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Turkey
Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland, Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Blueschist vs Oil shale 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. Blueschist vs Oil shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blueschist and Properties of Oil shale. Learn more about Blueschist vs Oil shale in the next section. The interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Oil shale include Not yet used. Due to some exceptional properties of Blueschist and Oil shale, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Blueschist in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Oil shale include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Serves as an oil and gas reservoir rock.
More about Blueschist and Oil shale
Here you can know more about Blueschist and Oil shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blueschist and Oil shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Blueschist includes Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz and mineral content of Oil shale includes Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blueschist vs Oil shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors whereas, Oil shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Blueschist is Dull and Banded and that of Oil shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blueschist vs Oil shale. The hardness of Blueschist is 3.5-4 and that of Oil shale is 2-3. The types of Blueschist are Not Available whereas types of Oil shale are Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Blueschist is white to grey while that of Oil shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Blueschist is Not Available and that of Oil shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Oil shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.