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
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
  
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
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
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
  
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
  
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
  
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.