Definition
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous
Splintery
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Muddy
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Medical Industry
Surgery
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
Types
Not Available
Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Felsite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
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.
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Iron Oxides
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact 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, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Slaty
Toughness
Not Available
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Kenya
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland, Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
All about Felsite and Oil shale Properties
Know all about Felsite and Oil shale properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Oil shale belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Oil shale is Splintery. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Oil shale appears Muddy. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Oil shale is dull. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Oil shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Oil shale are an oil and gas reservoir.