Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
A sedimentary rock, deposit of a submarine turbidity currents and are composed of layered particles
Origin
England
European Foreland Basins
Discoverer
Unknown
Arnold H. Bouma
Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
From Medieval Latin turbiditas, from Latin turbidus (turbid). Turbidity current is from 1939
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Brecciated, Clastic
Mud-rich, Sandy
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
Sedimentary rock
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
High silica content, Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
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.
Turbidite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles then settle down and are subjected to high temperature and pressures hence forming Turbidite.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
Coesite, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of 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
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Splintery
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Metallic
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.46-2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0 g/cm3
1.6-2.5 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
-
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, Belarus, Romania, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New Zealand, Western Australia
Breccia vs Turbidite 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 Turbidite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Breccia and Properties of Turbidite. Learn more about Breccia vs Turbidite 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 Turbidite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Breccia and Turbidite, 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 Turbidite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Breccia and Turbidite
Here you can know more about Breccia and Turbidite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Breccia and Turbidite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Turbidite includes Coesite, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Breccia vs Turbidite, 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, Turbidite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink colors. Appearance of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Turbidite is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Breccia vs Turbidite. The hardness of Breccia is 7 and that of Turbidite is 3. The types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia whereas types of Turbidite are Sedimentary rock. 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 Turbidite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Breccia is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Turbidite is 0.92 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 Turbidite is heat resistant.