Definition
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles
Anthracite is a type of sedimentary rock which is hard and is variety of coal that has high luster
History
Origin
-
Pennsylvania, U.S.
Discoverer
Johann Gottlob Lehmann
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 Greek anthrakites, from anthrax, anthrak meaning coal
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Splintery
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Muddy
Veined or Pebbled
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
-
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, 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
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Medical Industry
-
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Manufacture of Aspirins
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
-
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Types
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale
Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
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.
Anthracite forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. When plant debris dies and falls into the swamp, the standing water of the swamp protects it from decay.
Composition
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
31-1.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
-
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Shiny
Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2-
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Slaty
-
Toughness
2.6
-
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.81.1-1.4
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm31.25-2.5 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K1.32 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria