sedimentary
Shale with Quartz Veins
Fissile Sedimentary Rock (SiO2)
Hardness 3-4 for the shale matrix, 7 for quartz; color is gray/olive; luster is dull (shale) to vitreous (quartz); fine-grained clastic texture with cleavage along bedding planes.
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Physical properties
Hardness 3-4 for the shale matrix, 7 for quartz; color is gray/olive; luster is dull (shale) to vitreous (quartz); fine-grained clastic texture with cleavage along bedding planes.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the compaction of silt and clay-sized mineral particles over millions of years (Devonian-Carboniferous eras common). The white veins signify secondary hydrothermal fluid injection into fractures.
Uses & applications
Primarily used in the production of cement, bricks, and tiles; often processed for natural gas (shale gas) or used as a filler in road base.
Geological facts
Shale is the most common sedimentary rock on Earth. The white mineral visible on the edge is likely a quartz or calcite vein precipitate formed by water flowing through rock cracks.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its thin, flat layers (fissility) and tendency to break into slabs. Common in basins and river deltas. Often contains micro-fossils.
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