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Gossan vs Shale


Shale vs Gossan


Definition

Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.   
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles   

History
  
  

Origin
Indonesia   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Cornish Gossen   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit   
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
Metamorphic Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Rough, Sandy   
Clastic, Splintery   

Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust   
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
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull and Banded   
Muddy   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, 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   
Artifacts, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone   
Creating Artwork, Pottery   

Types

Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan   
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates   
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Jantar Mantar in India   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.   
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
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon   
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur   
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
No   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
4-5   
3   

Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Not Available   

Streak
White to Grey   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Metallic   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
95.00 N/mm2   
20

Cleavage
Not Available   
Slaty   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
2.0   
2.2-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.4-2.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.24 kJ/Kg K   
24
0.39 kJ/Kg K   
23

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea   
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   

Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa   
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom   
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Gossan 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 Gossan and Shale Reserves. Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.. 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 Gossan vs Shale information and Gossan vs Shale characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

Here you can know more about Gossan and Shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gossan and Shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gossan includes Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon 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 Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gossan vs Shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors whereas, Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Gossan is Dull and Banded and that of Shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gossan vs Shale. The hardness of Gossan is 4-5 and that of Shale is 3. The types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan 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 Gossan is white to grey while that of Shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K 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.Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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