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Diabase vs Breccia


Breccia vs Diabase


Definition

Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar  
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material  

History
  
  

Origin
Germany  
England  

Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Greek di + base  
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic, Granular  
Brecciated, Clastic  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Vesicular  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry  

Types

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

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

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.  
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
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine  
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide  
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, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion  
Chemical Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
7  

Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Uneven  

Streak
Black  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
-  
Dull to Pearly  

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2  
8
180.00 N/mm2  
18

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
1.6  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87  
2.86-2.87  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3  
0 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

Africa
South Africa, Tanzania  
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey  
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  

Others
Antarctica, Greenland  
Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

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

South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia  
New South Wales, New Zealand  

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Diabase vs Breccia 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 Diabase and Breccia Reserves. Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar. Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material. 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 Diabase vs Breccia information and Diabase vs Breccia characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Diabase vs Breccia 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. Diabase vs Breccia characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diabase and Properties of Breccia. Learn more about Diabase vs Breccia in the next section. The interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Breccia include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diabase and Breccia, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diabase in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Breccia include As dimension stone, Construction aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.

More about Diabase and Breccia

Here you can know more about Diabase and Breccia. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diabase and Breccia consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine and mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diabase vs Breccia, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Diabase is Vesicular and that of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diabase vs Breccia. Hardness of Diabase and Breccia is 7. The types of Diabase are Dolerite whereas types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diabase is black while that of Breccia is white. The specific heat capacity of Diabase is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Breccia is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Breccia is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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