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Shale vs Websterite


Websterite vs Shale


Definition

Definition
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles  
Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
Webster, North Carolina  

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 the town of Webster located in North Carolina  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Plutonic  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Splintery  
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic  

Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow  
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey  

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  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration  

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  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones  

Types

Types
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale  
Ultramafic rock  

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
-  
-  

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.  
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides  
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Impact 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, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3  
7  

Grain Size
Very fine-grained  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
-  
Uneven  

Streak
White  
White, Greenish White or Grey  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic  

Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2  
30
95.00 N/mm2  
30

Cleavage
Slaty  
-  

Toughness
2.6  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8  
3.2-3.5  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3  
3.1-3.6 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K  
30
0.79 kJ/Kg K  
17

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Impact 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  
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey  

Others
-  
Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
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  

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Shale vs Websterite 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 Websterite Reserves. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.. 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 Websterite information and Shale vs Websterite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Shale vs Websterite 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 Websterite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shale and Properties of Websterite. Learn more about Shale vs Websterite in the next section. The interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Websterite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Shale and Websterite, 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 Websterite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Shale and Websterite

Here you can know more about Shale and Websterite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shale and Websterite 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 Websterite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Shale vs Websterite, 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, Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors. Appearance of Shale is Muddy and that of Websterite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shale vs Websterite. The hardness of Shale is 3 and that of Websterite is 7. The types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale whereas types of Websterite are Ultramafic 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 Websterite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Websterite is 0.79 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 Websterite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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