Definition
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth
Discoverer
Unknown
Georgius Agricola
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 Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Splintery
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Muddy
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Types
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
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
Famous Monuments
Jantar Mantar in India
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
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.
Basalt forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
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
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Not Available
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Not Available
Cleavage
Slaty
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat 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
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
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
Not Yet Found
Shale vs Basalt 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 Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shale and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Shale vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Shale and Basalt, 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 Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Shale and Basalt
Here you can know more about Shale and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Basalt 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 Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Basalt, 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, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Basalt. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. 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 Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt 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 Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.