- 2068 Chaitra · 1 mark
Short note: Shale
Short answer
Shale is a fine-grained fissile sedimentary rock formed by compaction of clay and silt. It contains clay minerals and quartz, is soft and weak, and swells and slakes on wetting, causing poor foundation and slope stability. Used in bricks and cement.
Write a short note on shale.
Shale is a fine-grained clastic (argillaceous) sedimentary rock formed by compaction of clay and silt. It is thinly bedded and splits easily into thin layers along bedding planes (fissility). The main minerals are clay minerals (illite, kaolinite) with quartz. It is soft and weak, absorbs water, and swells and slakes on wetting and drying. Engineering problems: poor foundation and slope stability, and swelling in tunnels. It is used in brick and cement manufacture and metamorphoses to slate.
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