Definition
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles
  
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
  
History
  
  
Origin
Unknown
  
USA
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Edgar Bailey
  
Etymology
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,
  
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Clastic, Splintery
  
Foliated
  
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
  
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Muddy
  
Dull and Banded
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
  
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Not Yet Used
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
  
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery
  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
  
Types
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale
  
Not Available
  
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
  
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Jantar Mantar in India
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Absent
  
Formation
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.
  
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
  
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3
  
3.5-4
  
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
  
Fine to Medium Grained
  
Fracture
Not Available
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White to Grey
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Dull
  
Dull
  
Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm
2
  
20
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Slaty
  
Slaty
  
Toughness
2.6
  
1.5
  
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
  
3-3.2
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K
  
23
Not Available
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
  
Japan, Turkey
  
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
  
France, Greece, Iceland
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
USA
  
USA
  
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
  
New Zealand