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Shale vs Gossan


Gossan vs Shale


Definition

Definition
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles   
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Indonesia   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Cornish Gossen   

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 Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic 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   
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Splintery   
Rough, Sandy   

Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow   
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust   

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   
No   

Appearance
Muddy   
Dull and Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, 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, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

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

Types

Types
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale   
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan   

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Jantar Mantar in India   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

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.   
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides   
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon   

Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3   
4-5   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Fine to Medium Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Metallic   

Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2   
20
Not Available   

Cleavage
Slaty   
Not Available   

Toughness
2.6   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8   
2.0   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K   
23
0.24 kJ/Kg K   
24

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea   

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa   

Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom   

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, Colombia, Ecuador   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Shale vs Gossan 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 Gossan Reserves. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.. 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 Gossan information and Shale vs Gossan characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Shale and Gossan

Here you can know more about Shale and Gossan. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Gossan 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 Gossan includes Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Gossan, 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, Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Gossan is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Gossan. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Gossan is 4-5. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan. 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 Gossan is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Gossan is 0.24 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 Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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