Home
Compare Rocks


Breccia vs Cataclasite


Cataclasite vs Breccia


Definition

Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material  
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix  

History
  
  

Origin
England  
Swiss Alps, Europe  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Michael Tellinger  

Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break  
From the Italian word cataclasi  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Brecciated, Clastic  
Clastic  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  
Dull and Banded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

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

Types

Types
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia  
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite  

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch  
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

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.   
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica  
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion  
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
3-4  

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
-  

Streak
White  
Black  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull to Pearly  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
180.00 N/mm2  
18
50.00 N/mm2  
39

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87  
2.1  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
0 g/cm3  
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan  
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea  

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa  

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom  

Others
Greenland  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

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

South America
Brazil  
Argentina, Colombia  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Definition >>
<< All

Breccia vs Cataclasite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Breccia and Cataclasite Reserves. Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material. Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Breccia vs Cataclasite information and Breccia vs Cataclasite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Breccia vs Cataclasite 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. Breccia vs Cataclasite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Breccia and Properties of Cataclasite. Learn more about Breccia vs Cataclasite in the next section. The interior uses of Breccia include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Cataclasite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Breccia and Cataclasite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Breccia in construction industry include As dimension stone, Construction aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Cataclasite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Breccia and Cataclasite

Here you can know more about Breccia and Cataclasite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Breccia and Cataclasite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Cataclasite includes Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Breccia vs Cataclasite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors whereas, Cataclasite is available in brown, green, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Cataclasite is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Breccia vs Cataclasite. The hardness of Breccia is 7 and that of Cataclasite is 3-4. The types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia whereas types of Cataclasite are Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Breccia is white while that of Cataclasite is black. The specific heat capacity of Breccia is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Cataclasite 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.Breccia is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Cataclasite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

» More Sedimentary Rocks

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

» More Compare Sedimentary Rocks