Shale

Gossan

Shale and Gossan

Shale

Gossan

Add ⊕

Definition

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

Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.

History

Origin

Indonesia

Discoverer

Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Cornish Gossen

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 Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Splintery

Rough, Sandy

Color

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

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Muddy

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Pottery

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

Types

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

Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan

Features

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

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Jantar Mantar in India

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

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.

Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon

Compound Content

Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

34-5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Metallic

Compressive Strength

95.00 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.2-2.82.0

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.4-2.8 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.39 kJ/Kg K0.24 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

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

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Shale and Gossan Properties

Know all about Shale and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Shale belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Gossan belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Shale is Clastic, Splintery whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Shale appears Muddy and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Shale is dull while that of Gossan is metallic. Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. The commercial uses of Shale are creating artwork, pottery and that of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.