Definition
An iron rich extrusive rock found as a member of the alkali basalt magma series
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
Origin
Isle of Mull, Scotland
England
Discoverer
Ben More
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of discoverer, Ben More
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Trachytic, Vesicular
Brecciated, Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Benmoreite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or magma. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock which is composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock which are cemented together by a fine-grained matrix and it forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate.
Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Dull to Pearly
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
0 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Africa
South Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New South Wales, New Zealand
Benmoreite vs Breccia 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. Benmoreite vs Breccia characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Benmoreite and Properties of Breccia. Learn more about Benmoreite vs Breccia in the next section. The interior uses of Benmoreite include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Breccia include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Benmoreite and Breccia, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Benmoreite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Breccia include As dimension stone, Construction aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.
More about Benmoreite and Breccia
Here you can know more about Benmoreite and Breccia. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Benmoreite and Breccia consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Benmoreite includes Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase and mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Benmoreite vs Breccia, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Benmoreite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Benmoreite is Rough and Dull and that of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Benmoreite vs Breccia. The hardness of Benmoreite is 6 and that of Breccia is 7. The types of Benmoreite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt whereas types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Benmoreite is black while that of Breccia is white. The specific heat capacity of Benmoreite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Breccia is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Benmoreite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Breccia is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.