Home

Igneous Rocks + -

Fossil Rocks + -

Metamorphic Rocks + -

Durable Rocks + -

Medium Grained Rocks + -

Compare Rocks


Shale vs Quartzite


Quartzite vs Shale


Definition

Definition
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles   
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone   

History
  
  

Discoverer
Unknown   
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 quartz + -ite   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Splintery   
Foliated, Granular   

Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Muddy   
Lustrous   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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   
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale   
Not Available   

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
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Jantar Mantar in India   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
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.   
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides   
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz   

Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3   
6-7   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Medium Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2   
20
115.00 N/mm2   
18

Cleavage
Slaty   
Indiscernible   

Toughness
2.6   
1.9   

Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8   
2.6-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Transparent to Translucent   

Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3   
2.32-2.42 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K   
23
0.75 kJ/Kg K   
18

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey   

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe   

Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Bahamas, Canada, USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Definition >>
<< All

Shale vs Quartzite 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 Quartzite Reserves. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone. 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 Quartzite information and Shale vs Quartzite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Shale vs Quartzite 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 Quartzite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shale and Properties of Quartzite. Learn more about Shale vs Quartzite in the next section. The interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Shale and Quartzite, 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 Quartzite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Shale and Quartzite

Here you can know more about Shale and Quartzite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Quartzite 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 Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Quartzite, 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, Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Quartzite is Lustrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Quartzite. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Quartzite is 6-7. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Quartzite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Shale and Quartzite is white. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Quartzite is 0.75 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 Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

Fossil Rocks

Fossil Rocks

» More Fossil Rocks

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

» More Compare Sedimentary Rocks