Definition
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles
Essexite which is also known as nepheline monzogabbro, is a dark gray or black holocrystalline plutonic Iigneous Rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
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 the locality in Essex County, Massachusetts,US
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Splintery
Granular
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Jewelry, Sea Defence, 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
Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Jantar Mantar in India
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
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.
Essexite is a type of igneous rock, which is usually dark grey to black plutonic rock. For the formation of essexite, suitable magma with exact composition of K, Ba, Rb, Cs, Sr should be produced.
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Augite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Nepheline, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, Ba, Ca, Cs, Potassium, Rb, Sodium, Sr
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Not Available
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Slaty
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland