Chert

Breccia

Chert and Breccia

Chert

Breccia

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Definition

Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture

Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material

History

Origin

England

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use

From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded, Rough

Brecciated, Clastic

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

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

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

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

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter

Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Formation

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.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Quartz, Silicon

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.5-77

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

450.00 N/mm²180.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.7 g/cm³0 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan

Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand

All about Chert and Breccia Properties

Know all about Chert and Breccia properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Chert and Breccia belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Chert is Banded, Rough whereas that of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic. Chert appears Glassy or Pearly and Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Chert is waxy and dull while that of Breccia is dull to pearly. Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Chert and Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.