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Chert
Chert

Schist
Schist



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Chert
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Chert vs Schist

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Definition

Definition

Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation

History

Origin

-
-

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Banded, Rough
Foliated, Platy

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly
Layered and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
-

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone

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
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates

Types

Types

Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.

Features

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Present
Absent

Formation

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.
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.

Composition

Mineral Content

Quartz, Silicon
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.5-73.5-4
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Conchoidal

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull
Shiny

Compressive Strength

450.00 N/mm2150.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
Slaty

Toughness

1.5
1.5

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.5-2.9
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.7 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.70 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

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

Europe

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Chert vs Schist 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 Schist Reserves. Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture. Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation. 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 Schist information and Chert vs Schist characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Chert vs Schist 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 Schist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Chert and Properties of Schist. Learn more about Chert vs Schist in the next section. The interior uses of Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Chert and Schist, 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 Schist include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone.

More about Chert and Schist

Here you can know more about Chert and Schist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Chert and Schist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon and mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Chert vs Schist, 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, Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. Appearance of Chert is Glassy or Pearly and that of Schist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Chert vs Schist. The hardness of Chert is 6.5-7 and that of Schist is 3.5-4. The types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter whereas types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Chert and Schist is white. The specific heat capacity of Chert is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Schist is 0.70 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 Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.