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
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
  
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
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
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
  
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/mm
2
  
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
  
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
  
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.