Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
A carbonate rock which is matrix supported and contains over 10% allochems in a carbonate mud matrix.
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Brecciated, Clastic
Clastic
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Pottery
Types
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
Marl, Shale and Argillite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
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.
Wackestone is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles settle down and are then compacted due to high temperature and pressure hence forming Wackestone.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
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, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0 g/cm3
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Breccia vs Wackestone 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 Wackestone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Breccia and Properties of Wackestone. Learn more about Breccia vs Wackestone 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 Wackestone include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Breccia and Wackestone, 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 Wackestone include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Breccia and Wackestone
Here you can know more about Breccia and Wackestone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Breccia and Wackestone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Wackestone includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Breccia vs Wackestone, 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, Wackestone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Wackestone is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Breccia vs Wackestone. The hardness of Breccia is 7 and that of Wackestone is 2-3. The types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia whereas types of Wackestone are Marl, Shale and Argillite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Breccia and Wackestone is white. The specific heat capacity of Breccia is Not Available and that of Wackestone is 0.39 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 Wackestone is heat resistant, impact resistant.