Geologically, Slate ke lefika la metamorphic le entsoeng hantle le entsoeng ka sedimentary kapa volcanic molora oo ka metamorphism o fetotsoeng ka lik'hemik'hale le sebopeho.Letlapa le na le mela e 'meli e hlalositsoeng ea ho robeha - cleavage le lijo-thollo.Tsena li etsa hore ho khonehe ho arola letlapa hore e be lipampiri tse tšesaane, tseo ka nako eo li ka khaoloang le ho bōptjoa hore e be li-slate tsa marulelo, hammoho le lisebelisoa tse ling tse ngata.
CDPH Slate e sebelisa lilemo tsa rona tsa boiphihlelo ho etsa bonnete ba hore boleng ba lithaele tsa slate tsa tlhaho bo feta litebello tsa bareki ba rona, ka litšobotsi tsa 'nete tsa sehlahisoa le tlholisanong ea litefiso tseo re ka fanang ka tsona.
Letlapa la rona le ka sebelisoa bakeng sa lithaele tsa lebota, lithaele tsa fatše, lithaele tsa ho rulela, lejoe le katiloeng, litepisi, li-curbs, kerbstone, lipava tse hlanyang, majoe a folakha, litepisi, lejoe le hatang, mehato, lekhoakhoa le li-Chips.