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Breccia vs Chert


Chert vs Breccia


Definition

Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material   
Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture   

History
  
  

Origin
England   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break   
From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary 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   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Brecciated, Clastic   
Banded, Rough   

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

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   
Glassy or Pearly   

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, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms   

Types

Types
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia   
Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Present   
Present   

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.   
Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica   
Quartz, Silicon   

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   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion   
Chemical Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
6.5-7   

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull to Pearly   
Waxy and Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
450.00 N/mm2   
1

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
2.5-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
0 g/cm3   
2.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.74 kJ/Kg K   
19

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan   
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

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

South America
Brazil   
Bolivia, Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Breccia vs Chert 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 Chert Reserves. Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material. Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture. 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 Chert information and Breccia vs Chert characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Breccia vs Chert 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 Chert characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Breccia and Properties of Chert. Learn more about Breccia vs Chert 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 Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Breccia and Chert, 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 Chert include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.

More about Breccia and Chert

Here you can know more about Breccia and Chert. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Breccia and Chert consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Breccia vs Chert, 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, Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Chert is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Breccia vs Chert. The hardness of Breccia is 7 and that of Chert is 6.5-7. The types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia whereas types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Breccia and Chert is white. The specific heat capacity of Breccia is Not Available and that of Chert is 0.74 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 Chert is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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