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Variolite
Variolite

Shale
Shale



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Variolite
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Variolite vs Shale

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Definition

Definition

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles

History

Origin

France
-

Discoverer

Unknown
Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Etymology

From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
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

Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
-

Other Categories

Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Clastic, Splintery

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Dull and Soft
Muddy

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
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

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Pottery

Types

Types

Metamorphic rock
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale

Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
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

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.
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

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

63
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

-
Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
-

Streak

White to Grey
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

-
Dull

Compressive Strength

37.50 N/mm295.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
Slaty

Toughness

2.3
2.6

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.2-2.8
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 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, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

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

Europe

Iceland
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

-
-

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, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

Variolite 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 Variolite and Shale Reserves. Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance. 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 Variolite vs Shale information and Variolite vs Shale characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Variolite 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. Variolite vs Shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Shale. Learn more about Variolite vs Shale in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Shale, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Variolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Shale include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.

More about Variolite and Shale

Here you can know more about Variolite and Shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene 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 Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Shale. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Shale is 3. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock 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 Variolite is white to grey while that of Shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite 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.Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.