Definition
A water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles
Discoverer
Usiglio
Johann Gottlob Lehmann
Etymology
From a sediment left after the evaporation
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
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Clastic, Splintery
Color
Green, Grey, Silver, White
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Muddy
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
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Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
Creating Artwork, Pottery
Types
Sedimentary rock
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale
Features
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
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Jantar Mantar in India
Formation
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
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
Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Compound Content
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
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Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
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Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.99
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
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Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
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Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
United Kingdom
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Colombia, Paraguay
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Evaporite 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. Evaporite vs Shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Evaporite and Properties of Shale. Learn more about Evaporite vs Shale in the next section. The interior uses of Evaporite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Evaporite and Shale, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Evaporite in construction industry include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Shale include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Evaporite and Shale
Here you can know more about Evaporite and Shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Evaporite and Shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Evaporite includes Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite 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 Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Evaporite vs Shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Evaporite is available in green, grey, silver, white colors whereas, Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Evaporite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Evaporite vs Shale. The hardness of Evaporite is 2-3 and that of Shale is 3. The types of Evaporite are Sedimentary rock 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 Evaporite and Shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Evaporite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K 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.Evaporite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.