Definition
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles
During the impact melted material forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments together form Suevite rock.
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,
No etymologies found
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Splintery
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale
Phyllosilicates, Calcite
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Jantar Mantar in India
-
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.
Suevite is a metamorphic rock consisting partly of melted material, typically forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments, formed during an impact event.
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
-
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Coarse Grained
Streak
White
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
-
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
-
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
England, France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
-
Shale vs Suevite 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 Suevite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shale and Properties of Suevite. Learn more about Shale vs Suevite in the next section. The interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Suevite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Shale and Suevite, 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 Suevite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Shale and Suevite
Here you can know more about Shale and Suevite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Suevite 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 Suevite includes Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Suevite, 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, Suevite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Suevite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Suevite. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Suevite is 5.5. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Suevite are Phyllosilicates, Calcite. 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 Suevite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Suevite 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 Suevite is heat resistant.