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Shale
Shale

Gneiss
Gneiss



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Shale vs Gneiss

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Definition

Definition

Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks

History

Origin

-
-

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 the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)

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, Platy

Color

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

Maintenance

More
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Muddy
Foliated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Pottery
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Types

Types

Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.

Features

Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

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-

Famous Monuments

Jantar Mantar in India
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

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-

Pictographs

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-

Petroglyphs

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-

Figurines

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-

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.
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon

Compound Content

Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

37
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained
Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

-
Irregular

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Very Less Porous

Luster

Dull
Dull

Compressive Strength

95.00 N/mm2125.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty
-

Toughness

2.6
1.2

Specific Gravity

2.2-2.82.5-2.7
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.4-2.8 g/cm32.6-2.9 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.39 kJ/Kg K0.70 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo

Europe

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Others

-
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Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Shale vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss Reserves. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. 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 Gneiss information and Shale vs Gneiss characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Shale vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shale and Properties of Gneiss. Learn more about Shale vs Gneiss in the next section. The interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gneiss include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Shale and Gneiss, 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 Gneiss include As dimension stone.

More about Shale and Gneiss

Here you can know more about Shale and Gneiss. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Gneiss 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 Gneiss includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Gneiss, 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, Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Gneiss is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Gneiss. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Gneiss is 7. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Gneiss are Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Shale and Gneiss is white. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Gneiss is 0.70 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 Gneiss is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.