Home
Compare Rocks


Gabbro vs Shale


Shale vs Gabbro


Definition

Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt   
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles   

History
  
  

Origin
Germany   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald   
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   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Phaneritic   
Clastic, Splintery   

Color
Dark Grey to Black   
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Veined and Shiny   
Muddy   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, 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   
Artifacts, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   
Creating Artwork, Pottery   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale   

Features
Smooth to touch   
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Jantar Mantar in India   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.   
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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
3   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Not Available   

Streak
Black   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2   
7
95.00 N/mm2   
20

Cleavage
Not Available   
Slaty   

Toughness
1.6   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
2.2-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3   
2.4-2.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.39 kJ/Kg K   
23

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   

Africa
South Africa   
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia   

Definition >>
<< All

Gabbro vs Shale Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Gabbro and Shale Reserves. Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Gabbro vs Shale information and Gabbro vs Shale characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Gabbro 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. Gabbro vs Shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Shale. Learn more about Gabbro vs Shale in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Shale, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gabbro in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, 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 Gabbro and Shale

Here you can know more about Gabbro and Shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene 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 Gabbro vs Shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Shale. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Shale is 3. The types of Gabbro 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 Gabbro is black while that of Shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro 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.Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks