Definition
Litchfieldite is a rare igneous rock which is coarse-grained, foliated and a variety of nepheline syenite, sometimes also called as nepheline syenite gneiss or gneissic nepeheline syenite
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
Discoverer
Bayley
Unknown
Etymology
From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular
Splintery
Color
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Banded and Foilated
Muddy
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
Types
Borolanite and Litchfieldite
Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale
Features
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Litchfieldite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Oil Shale forms on the beds of seas and lakes and its formation starts with the organic debris settling and accumulating at the bottom of a lake or sea which are then transformed into rock with the help of high temperature and pressure.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
Not Available
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Greasy to Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.6
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
South Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Finland, Norway, Portugal
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland, Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia