Definition
Mudstone is a fine-grained, dark gray sedimentary rock, which is formed from silt and clay and is similar to shale but has less laminations
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Discoverer
William Smith
Unknown
Etymology
From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Foliated, Platy
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Layered and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Roof Tiles
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Types
Marl, Shale and Argillite
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Mudstone forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are buried and compacted by overlying sediment hence forming mudstone.
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.5-2.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Mudstone vs Schist 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. Mudstone vs Schist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Mudstone and Properties of Schist. Learn more about Mudstone vs Schist in the next section. The interior uses of Mudstone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Mudstone and Schist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Mudstone in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Schist include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Mudstone and Schist
Here you can know more about Mudstone and Schist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Mudstone and Schist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Mudstone includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz and mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Mudstone vs Schist, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Mudstone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. Appearance of Mudstone is Rough and Dull and that of Schist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Mudstone vs Schist. The hardness of Mudstone is 2-3 and that of Schist is 3.5-4. The types of Mudstone are Marl, Shale and Argillite whereas types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Mudstone and Schist is white. The specific heat capacity of Mudstone is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Schist is 0.70 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Mudstone is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.