Shale

Marl

Shale vs Marl

Shale

Marl

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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

Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime

History

Origin

Unknown

Discoverer

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 Old French marle, from Late Latin marglia

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Splintery

Earthy

Color

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

Beige, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Muddy

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Medical Industry

Not Available

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture

Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Pottery

Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner

Types

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

Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl

Features

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

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Splintery, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

Famous Monuments

Jantar Mantar in India

Not Applicable

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

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.

Marl forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settles at the bottom of water bodies and are compacted by overlying sediment; the water squeezes out and hence forming Marl rock.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

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, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

32-3

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Not Available

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

95.00 N/mm²NA

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Not Available

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.2-2.82.2-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.4-2.8 g/cm³2.4-2.8 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.39 kJ/Kg KNA

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

India, Pakistan, Russia

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa

Europe

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

Others

Not Available

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia

Shale vs Marl 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 Marl Reserves. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime. 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 Marl information and Shale vs Marl characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Shale vs Marl 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 Marl characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shale and Properties of Marl. Learn more about Shale vs Marl in the next section. The interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Marl include Decorative aggregates and Floor tiles. Due to some exceptional properties of Shale and Marl, 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 Marl include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.

More about Shale and Marl

Here you can know more about Shale and Marl. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Marl 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 Marl includes Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Marl, 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, Marl is available in beige, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Marl is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Marl. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Marl is 2-3. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Marl are Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Shale and Marl is white. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Marl is Not Available. 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 Marl is heat resistant, impact resistant.