Shale

Laterite

Shale vs Laterite

Shale

Laterite

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Definition

Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles

Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas

History

Origin

India

Discoverer

Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton

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 Latin later brick, tile + -ite1

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Splintery

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic

Color

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

Brown, Buff, Red

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Muddy

Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Pottery

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums

Types

Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale

Laterite

Features

Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Jantar Mantar in India

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

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.

Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, 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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

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Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

95.00 N/mm²5.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.2-2.8-9999

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.4-2.8 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.39 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

India

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

East Africa, Western Africa

Europe

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

England, Romania, Scotland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Central Australia, Western Australia

Shale vs Laterite 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 Laterite Reserves. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. 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 Laterite information and Shale vs Laterite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Shale vs Laterite 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 Laterite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shale and Properties of Laterite. Learn more about Shale vs Laterite in the next section. The interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Shale and Laterite, 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 Laterite include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.

More about Shale and Laterite

Here you can know more about Shale and Laterite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Laterite 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 Laterite includes Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Laterite, 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, Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Laterite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Laterite. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Laterite is 2. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Laterite are Laterite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Shale and Laterite is white. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Laterite 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 Laterite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.