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
History
Origin
-
-
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
Family
Group
Volcanic
-
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
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Muddy
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
-
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
-
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Industry
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
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
Types
Igneous rock
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
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
Composition
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
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5-5.52-3
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
-
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Dull
Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2-
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Slaty
Toughness
-
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.72.2-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm32.4-2.8 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
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
-
Greenland
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