Oolite

Shale

Oolite vs Shale

Oolite

Shale

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Definition

Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite

Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles

History

Origin

Discoverer

William Smith

Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Etymology

From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime

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

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic or Non-Clastic

Clastic, Splintery

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow

Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rounded and Rough

Muddy

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Used in aquariums

Creating Artwork, Pottery

Types

Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite

Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale

Features

Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Jantar Mantar in India

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Formation

Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.

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

Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt

Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO

Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-43

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Pearly to Shiny

Dull

Compressive Strength

40.00 N/mm²95.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

-99992.2-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.4-2.8 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.65 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

United Kingdom

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Colombia

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

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

Oolite 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 Oolite and Shale Reserves. Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite. 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 Oolite vs Shale information and Oolite vs Shale characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Oolite 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. Oolite vs Shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Oolite and Properties of Shale. Learn more about Oolite vs Shale in the next section. The interior uses of Oolite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Oolite and Shale, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Oolite in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping and that of Shale include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.

More about Oolite and Shale

Here you can know more about Oolite and Shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Oolite and Shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Oolite includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt 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 Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Oolite vs Shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Oolite is available in black, blue, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, silver, white, yellow colors whereas, Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Oolite is Rounded and Rough and that of Shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Oolite vs Shale. The hardness of Oolite is 3-4 and that of Shale is 3. The types of Oolite are Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite 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 Oolite and Shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Oolite is 0.65 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.Oolite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.