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Breccia vs Gneiss


Gneiss vs Breccia


Definition

Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material   
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks   

History
  
  

Origin
England   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break   
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)   

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, Platy   

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

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

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, Flooring, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia   
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch   
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US   

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   
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.   
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica   
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism   
Impact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
7   

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Irregular   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Dull to Pearly   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
125.00 N/mm2   
17

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Poor   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.2   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
2.5-2.7   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
0 g/cm3   
2.6-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan   
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia   

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo   

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA   
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria   

Definition >>
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Breccia vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss Reserves. Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material. Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. 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 Gneiss information and Breccia vs Gneiss characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Breccia vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Breccia and Properties of Gneiss. Learn more about Breccia vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Breccia and Gneiss, 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 Gneiss include As dimension stone.

More about Breccia and Gneiss

Here you can know more about Breccia and Gneiss. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Breccia and Gneiss consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Gneiss includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Breccia vs Gneiss, 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, Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Gneiss is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Breccia vs Gneiss. Hardness of Breccia and Gneiss is 7. The types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia whereas types of Gneiss are Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Breccia and Gneiss is white. The specific heat capacity of Breccia is Not Available and that of Gneiss is Not Available. 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 Gneiss is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.

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