Gneiss

Slate

Gneiss vs Slate

Gneiss

Slate

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks

Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Unknown

England

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

1.3 Etymology

From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)

From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)

1.4 Class

Metamorphic Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Not Applicable

1.6 Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Banded, Foliated, Platy

Foliated

2.2 Color

Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White

Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Light to Dark Grey, Purple, Red, Shades of Blue

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Foliated

Dull

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Blackboards, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Standard material for the bed of Billiard table, Standard material for the beds of Pool and Snooker table, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Writing Slates

4 Types

4.1 Types

Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.

Not Available

4.2 Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US

Data Not Available

4.3.3 Sculpture

Not Yet Used

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Not Applicable

Data Not Available

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Not Yet Used

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.

Slate is a low grade metamorphic rock that is generally formed by metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, under relatively low pressure and temperature conditions.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon

Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon

5.2.2 Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Impact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

73-4

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Very fine-grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Irregular

Splintery

6.1.4 Streak

White

Light to dark brown

6.1.5 Porosity

Very Less Porous

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Dull

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

125.00 N/mm²30.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Poor

Slaty

6.1.9 Toughness

1.2

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.5-2.72.65-2.8

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.6-2.9 g/cm³2.6-2.8 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

NA0.76 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia

China, India, Turkey

7.1.2 Africa

Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo

Not Yet Found

7.1.3 Europe

Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

Arctic

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

USA

7.2.2 South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Brazil

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

Not Yet Found

Gneiss vs Slate 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 Gneiss and Slate Reserves. Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. 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 Gneiss vs Slate information and Gneiss vs Slate characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Gneiss vs Slate 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. Gneiss vs Slate characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gneiss and Properties of Slate. Learn more about Gneiss vs Slate in the next section. The interior uses of Gneiss include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Slate include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Gneiss and Slate, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gneiss in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Slate include As dimension stone.

More about Gneiss and Slate

Here you can know more about Gneiss and Slate. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gneiss and Slate consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gneiss includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon and mineral content of Slate includes Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gneiss vs Slate, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors whereas, Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Gneiss is Foliated and that of Slate is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gneiss vs Slate. The hardness of Gneiss is 7 and that of Slate is 3-4. The types of Gneiss are Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss. whereas types of Slate are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gneiss is white while that of Slate is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Gneiss is Not Available and that of Slate is 0.76 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Gneiss is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant whereas Slate is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.