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Siltstone
Siltstone

Shale
Shale



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Siltstone
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Shale

Siltstone vs Shale

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Definition

Definition

Siltstone can be defined as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which mainly consists of consolidated silt
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles

History

Origin

-
-

Discoverer

Unknown
Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Etymology

From English word silt and stone and from Proto-Indo-European root sal and stainaz
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,

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Clastic
Clastic, Splintery

Color

Brown, Red, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough
Muddy

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Soil Conditioner
Creating Artwork, Pottery

Types

Types

Siltstone
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Very fine grained rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, 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
Present

Formation

Formation

Siltstone is a type of sedimentary rock which is formed from fine rock particles. As the particles of eroded rock travel along with water, the edges of the rock are worn-out by water into a rounded shape.
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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of 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
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-73
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
-

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Dull
Dull

Compressive Strength

30.00 N/mm295.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
Slaty

Toughness

2.6
2.6

Specific Gravity

2.54-2.732.2-2.8
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.6-2.7 g/cm32.4-2.8 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Greenland
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Siltstone vs Shale 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 Siltstone and Shale Reserves. Siltstone can be defined as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which mainly consists of consolidated silt. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. 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 Siltstone vs Shale information and Siltstone vs Shale characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Siltstone vs Shale 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. Siltstone vs Shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Siltstone and Properties of Shale. Learn more about Siltstone vs Shale in the next section. The interior uses of Siltstone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Siltstone and Shale, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Siltstone in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Shale include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.

More about Siltstone and Shale

Here you can know more about Siltstone and Shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Siltstone and Shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Siltstone includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt and mineral content of Shale includes Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Siltstone vs Shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Siltstone is available in brown, red, reddish brown colors whereas, Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Siltstone is Rough and that of Shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Siltstone vs Shale. The hardness of Siltstone is 6-7 and that of Shale is 3. The types of Siltstone are Siltstone whereas types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Siltstone and Shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Siltstone is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Siltstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.