Chert

Oil shale

Chert vs Oil shale

Chert

Oil shale

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Definition

Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture

Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted

History

Origin

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use

From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded, Rough

Splintery

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

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

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly

Muddy

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms

An Oil and Gas Reservoir

Types

Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter

Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate

Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Formation

Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Quartz, Silicon

Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide

Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.5-72-3

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Dull

Compressive Strength

450.00 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

1.5

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.2-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.7 g/cm³2.4-2.8 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey

Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

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

Chert vs Oil shale Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Chert and Oil shale Reserves. Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture. Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Chert vs Oil shale information and Chert vs Oil shale characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Chert 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. Chert vs Oil shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Chert and Properties of Oil shale. Learn more about Chert vs Oil shale in the next section. The interior uses of Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Oil shale include . Due to some exceptional properties of Chert and Oil shale, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Chert in construction industry include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Oil shale include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Serves as an oil and gas reservoir rock.

More about Chert and Oil shale

Here you can know more about Chert and Oil shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Chert and Oil shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon 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 Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Chert vs Oil shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Oil shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Chert is Glassy or Pearly and that of Oil shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Chert vs Oil shale. The hardness of Chert is 6.5-7 and that of Oil shale is 2-3. The types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter 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 Chert and Oil shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Chert is 0.74 kJ/Kg K 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.Chert is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Oil shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.