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Breccia and Amphibolite


Amphibolite and Breccia


Definition

Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material  
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase  

History
  
  

Origin
England  
Unknown  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Alexandre Brongniart  

Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break  
From Amphibole + -ite  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable  
Not Applicable  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Brecciated, Clastic  
Banded, Foliated, Massive  

Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  
Foliated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
Not Available  
Not Available  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia  
Hornblendite  

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used  
Used  

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable  
Not Available  

Sculpture
Used  
Used  

Famous Sculptures
Not Available  
Not Available  

Pictographs
Not Used  
Not Used  

Petroglyphs
Not Used  
Not Used  

Figurines
Used  
Used  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
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.   
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica  
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism  
Not Applicable  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
6-7  

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
Irregular to Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull to Pearly  
Vitreous to Dull  

Cleavage
Not Available  
Not Available  

Toughness
Not Available  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87  
2.5  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
0 g/cm3  
2.85-3.07 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan  
Russia, Turkey  

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda  

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland  

Others
Greenland  
Not Available  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Brazil  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand  
South Australia, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Breccia and Amphibolite Properties

Know all about Breccia and Amphibolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Breccia belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Amphibolite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic whereas that of Amphibolite is Banded, Foliated, Massive. Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Amphibolite appears Foliated. The luster of Breccia is dull to pearly while that of Amphibolite is vitreous to dull. Breccia and Amphibolite are available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Amphibolite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

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