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Shale vs Variolite


Variolite vs Shale


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
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

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
-  
-  

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
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3  
6  

Grain Size
Very fine-grained  
-  

Fracture
-  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull  
-  

Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2  
30
37.50 N/mm2  
99+

Cleavage
Slaty  
-  

Toughness
2.6  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8  
2.8-3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3  
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K  
30
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

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  
-  

Definition >>
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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.

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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.

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