Definition
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
Origin
England
Southern Alps, France
Discoverer
Unknown
Dolomieu
Etymology
From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Light to Dark Grey, Purple, Red, Shades of Blue
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Available
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
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, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Medical Industry
Not Available
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Blackboards, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Standard material for the bed of Billiard table, Standard material for the beds of Pool and Snooker table, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Boninite and Jasperoid
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Not Available
Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Not Available
Not Available
Formation
Slate is a low grade metamorphic rock that is generally formed by metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, under relatively low pressure and temperature conditions.
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Streak
Light to dark brown
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Vitreous and Pearly
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.8
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Turkey
China, India
Africa
Not Available
Morocco, Namibia
Europe
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Arctic
Not Available
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Available
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
Slate vs Dolomite 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. Slate vs Dolomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Slate and Properties of Dolomite. Learn more about Slate vs Dolomite in the next section. The interior uses of Slate include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Dolomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Slate and Dolomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Slate in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Dolomite 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, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Production of glass and ceramics, Serves as an oil and gas reservoir rock.
More about Slate and Dolomite
Here you can know more about Slate and Dolomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Slate and Dolomite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Slate includes Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon and mineral content of Dolomite includes Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Slate vs Dolomite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors whereas, Dolomite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Slate is Dull and that of Dolomite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Slate vs Dolomite. The hardness of Slate is 3-4 and that of Dolomite is 3.5-4. The types of Slate are Not Available whereas types of Dolomite are Boninite and Jasperoid. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Slate is light to dark brown while that of Dolomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Slate is 0.76 kJ/Kg K and that of Dolomite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Slate is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Dolomite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.
