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Conglomerate and Breccia


Breccia and Conglomerate


Definition

Definition
Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock which forms from rounded gravel and boulder sized clasts which are cemented together in a matrix   
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material   

History
  
  

Origin
Italy   
England   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin conglomeratus, to roll together, i.e. from com together + glomerare to gather into a ball, from glomus (genitive glomeris) a ball   
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic   
Brecciated, Clastic   

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

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Shiny and Rounded   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, In aquifers, Tombstones   
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia   

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

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Conglomerate forms where sediments consisting mainly of pebble and cobble-size clasts at least two millimeters in diameter starts accumulating.   
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
Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt   
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism   

Weathering
No   
Yes   

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

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   
Chemical Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3   
7   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Uneven   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Dull to Pearly   

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.88   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
1.7-2.3 g/cm3   
0 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

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

Others
Greenland   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

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

South America
Brazil   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand   
New South Wales, New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Conglomerate and Breccia Properties

Know all about Conglomerate and Breccia properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Conglomerate and Breccia belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Conglomerate is Clastic whereas that of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic. Conglomerate appears Shiny and Rounded and Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Conglomerate is dull while that of Breccia is dull to pearly. Conglomerate is available in beige, black, brown, buff, light to dark grey, orange, rust, white, yellow 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 Conglomerate are cemetery markers, in aquifers, tombstones and that of Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.

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