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Shale
Shale

Variolite
Variolite



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Shale vs Variolite

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Definition

Definition

Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance

History

Origin

-
France

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,
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

-
Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Clastic, Splintery
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

More
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Muddy
Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
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, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Pottery
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

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

Features

Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

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-

Famous Monuments

Jantar Mantar in India
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

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.
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

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Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
-

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

36
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained
-

Fracture

-
Conchoidal

Streak

White
White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Dull
-

Compressive Strength

95.00 N/mm237.50 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty
-

Toughness

2.6
2.3

Specific Gravity

2.2-2.82.8-3
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.4-2.8 g/cm32.9-3.1 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.39 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
India, Russia

Africa

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

Europe

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

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA
Canada, USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
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Shale vs Variolite 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 Variolite Reserves. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance. 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 Variolite information and Shale vs Variolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Shale vs Variolite 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 Variolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shale and Properties of Variolite. Learn more about Shale vs Variolite in the next section. The interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Shale and Variolite, 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 Variolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Shale and Variolite

Here you can know more about Shale and Variolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Variolite 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 Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Variolite, 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, Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Variolite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Variolite. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Variolite is 6. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock. 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 Variolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Variolite is 0.84 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 Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.