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Skarn vs Shale


Shale vs Skarn


Definition

Definition
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin  
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles  

History
  
  

Origin
USA, Australia  
-  

Discoverer
Tornebohm  
Johann Gottlob Lehmann  

Etymology
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.  
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
Metamorphic 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
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough  
Clastic, Splintery  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White  
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow  

Maintenance
Less  
More  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Dull  
Muddy  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Gold and Silver production, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories  
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)  
Creating Artwork, Pottery  

Types

Types
Endoskarns  
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale  

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits  
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
Jantar Mantar in India  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Skarn is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.  
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, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite  
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides  

Compound Content
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO  
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

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

Weathering
No  
Yes  

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

Erosion
No  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6.5  
3  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Irregular  
-  

Streak
Light to dark brown  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm2  
35
95.00 N/mm2  
30

Cleavage
Slaty  
Slaty  

Toughness
2.4  
2.6  

Specific Gravity
2.86  
2.2-2.8  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

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

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.39 kJ/Kg K  
30

Resistance
Heat Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka  
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  

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

Europe
United Kingdom  
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada  
USA  

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay  
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Skarn 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 Skarn and Shale Reserves. Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin. 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 Skarn vs Shale information and Skarn vs Shale characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Skarn 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. Skarn vs Shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Skarn and Properties of Shale. Learn more about Skarn vs Shale in the next section. The interior uses of Skarn include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Skarn and Shale, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Skarn in construction industry include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Gold and silver production, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Shale include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.

More about Skarn and Shale

Here you can know more about Skarn and Shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Skarn and Shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Skarn includes Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite 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 Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Skarn vs Shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Skarn is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Skarn is Dull and that of Shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Skarn vs Shale. The hardness of Skarn is 6.5 and that of Shale is 3. The types of Skarn are Endoskarns 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 Skarn is light to dark brown while that of Shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Skarn is 0.92 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.Skarn is heat resistant whereas Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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