Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
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
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Clastic, Splintery
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Creating Artwork, Pottery
Types
Not Available
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale
Features
Typically speckled black and white.
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Jantar Mantar in India
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.
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.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
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
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Not Available
Not Available
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Slaty
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-3 g/cm3
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
Egypt
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Diorite vs 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. Diorite vs Shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diorite and Properties of Shale. Learn more about Diorite vs Shale in the next section. The interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diorite and Shale, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diorite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Shale include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Diorite and Shale
Here you can know more about Diorite and Shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon and mineral content of 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 Diorite vs Shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Shale. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Shale is 3. The types of Diorite are Not Available whereas types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diorite is bluish black while that of Shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Diorite is Not Available and that of 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.Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.