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Shale vs Dolomite


Dolomite vs Shale


Definition

Definition
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles   
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Southern Alps, France   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Dolomieu   

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 French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Splintery   
Earthy   

Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
No   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Muddy   
Glassy or Pearly   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings   
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

Types
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale   
Boninite and Jasperoid   

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Jantar Mantar in India   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Present   

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.   
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.   

Composition
  
  

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

Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
Yes   
No   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   
Not Applicable   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3   
3.5-4   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Vitreous and Pearly   

Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2   
20
140.00 N/mm2   
15

Cleavage
Slaty   
Perfect   

Toughness
2.6   
1   

Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8   
2.8-3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Transparent to Translucent   

Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K   
23
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   
China, India   

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
Morocco, Namibia   

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

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Mexico, USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Shale vs Dolomite 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 Dolomite Reserves. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight. 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 Dolomite information and Shale vs Dolomite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Shale vs Dolomite 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 Dolomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shale and Properties of Dolomite. Learn more about Shale vs Dolomite in the next section. The interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Dolomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Shale and Dolomite, 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 Dolomite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Production of glass and ceramics, Serves as an oil and gas reservoir rock.

More about Shale and Dolomite

Here you can know more about Shale and Dolomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Dolomite 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 Dolomite includes Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Dolomite, 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, Dolomite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Dolomite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Dolomite. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Dolomite is 3.5-4. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Dolomite are Boninite and Jasperoid. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Shale and Dolomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Dolomite is 0.92 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 Dolomite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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