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
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Discoverer
Abraham Gottlob Werner
Alois Wehrle
Etymology
From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Light to Dark Grey, Purple, Red, Shades of Blue
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull
Rough and Banded
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, 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
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Phyllite, Schist, and Slate
Ultramafic rock
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
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.
Wehrlite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon
Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Irregular
Streak
Light to dark brown
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.8
8.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Turkey
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
-
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New Zealand, Western Australia
Slate vs Wehrlite 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 Wehrlite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Slate and Properties of Wehrlite. Learn more about Slate vs Wehrlite 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 Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Slate and Wehrlite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Slate in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Wehrlite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Slate and Wehrlite
Here you can know more about Slate and Wehrlite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Slate and Wehrlite 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 Wehrlite includes Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Slate vs Wehrlite, 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, Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. Appearance of Slate is Dull and that of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Slate vs Wehrlite. The hardness of Slate is 3-4 and that of Wehrlite is 5.5-6. The types of Slate are Phyllite, Schist, and Slate whereas types of Wehrlite are Ultramafic rock. 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 Wehrlite is white. The specific heat capacity of Slate is 0.76 kJ/Kg K and that of Wehrlite is 0.63 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 Wehrlite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.