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Shale vs Amphibolite


Amphibolite vs Shale


Definition

Definition
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles  
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Johann Gottlob Lehmann  
Alexandre Brongniart  

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 Amphibole + -ite  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Splintery  
Banded, Foliated, Massive  

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

Maintenance
More  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Muddy  
Foliated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

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, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

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

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
Jantar Mantar in India  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

Formation

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.  
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides  
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite  

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
-  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3  
6-7  

Grain Size
Very fine-grained  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
-  
Irregular to Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Vitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2  
30
90.00 N/mm2  
32

Cleavage
Slaty  
-  

Toughness
2.6  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8  
2.5  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3  
2.85-3.07 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K  
30
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  
Russia, Turkey  

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania  
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda  

Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Shale vs Amphibolite 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 Shale and Amphibolite Reserves. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. 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 Shale vs Amphibolite information and Shale vs Amphibolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Shale vs Amphibolite 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. Shale vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shale and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Shale vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Shale and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Shale in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.

More about Shale and Amphibolite

Here you can know more about Shale and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Shale includes Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Amphibolite. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Shale is white while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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