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Variolite vs Shale


Shale vs Variolite


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
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

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
Yes  
No  

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

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
No  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
3  

Grain Size
-  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
-  

Streak
White to Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
-  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
37.50 N/mm2  
99+
95.00 N/mm2  
30

Cleavage
-  
Slaty  

Toughness
2.3  
2.6  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
2.2-2.8  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  
2.4-2.8 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.39 kJ/Kg K  
30

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  

Definition >>
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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.

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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.

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