Definition
Chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone consisting mainly of fossil shells of foraminifers
Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica
History
Origin
-
Western Australia, Minnesota
Discoverer
Unknown
Newton Horace Winchell
Etymology
From old English cealc chalk, lime, plaster; pebble, from Greek khalix small pebble, in English transferred to the opaque, white, soft limestone
From the name of Taconic Mountains in New England
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Banded, Trellis
Color
Grey, White, Yellow
Red, Reddish Brown
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Soft
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Powder
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Paper Industry, Production of Lime, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Whiting, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Chalk Marl and Marl
Iron formation
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Present
Formation
Chalk is formed from lime mud, which accumulates on the sea floor which is then transformed into rock by geological processes.
Taconite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. When the river reaches a lake or sea, its load of transported rocks settles or deposits at the bottom of sea or lake.
Composition
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
15.5-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
-
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Earthy
Compressive Strength
5.00 N/mm2190.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1
1.5
Specific Gravity
2.3-2.45-5.3
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.49-2.50 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.90 kJ/Kg K3.20 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Colombia
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia