Definition
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
From Old French marle, from Late Latin marglia
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Rough
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Beige, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
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
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner
Types
Not Available
Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Marl forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settles at the bottom of water bodies and are compacted by overlying sediment; the water squeezes out and hence forming Marl rock.
Mineral Content
Silicon
Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
India, Pakistan, Russia
Africa
Not Yet Found
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Bolivia
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia
Flint vs Marl 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. Flint vs Marl characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Flint and Properties of Marl. Learn more about Flint vs Marl in the next section. The interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Marl include Decorative aggregates and Floor tiles. Due to some exceptional properties of Flint and Marl, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Flint in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Marl include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Flint and Marl
Here you can know more about Flint and Marl. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Flint and Marl consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Flint includes Silicon and mineral content of Marl includes Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Flint vs Marl, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Marl is available in beige, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Flint is Glassy or Pearly and that of Marl is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Flint vs Marl. The hardness of Flint is 7 and that of Marl is 2-3. The types of Flint are Not Available whereas types of Marl are Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Flint and Marl is white. The specific heat capacity of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Marl is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Marl is heat resistant, impact resistant.