Home
Compare Rocks


Metapelite and Breccia


Breccia and Metapelite


Definition

Definition
Metapelite is an old and currently not widely used field geological term for a clay rich fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or a mudstone   
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
England   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Pelos or clay in Greek   
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Foliated   
Brecciated, Clastic   

Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey   
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
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Banded   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

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

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   

Types

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

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Metapelite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   
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
Albite, Chlorite, Quartz   
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-6   
7   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Fibrous   
Uneven   

Streak
Unknown   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Dull to Pearly   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
3.4-3.7   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0-300 g/cm3   
0 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.72 kJ/Kg K   
20
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Western Africa   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

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

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Not Available   
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Metapelite and Breccia Properties

Know all about Metapelite and Breccia properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Metapelite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Breccia belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Metapelite is Foliated whereas that of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic. Metapelite appears Banded and Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Metapelite is earthy while that of Breccia is dull to pearly. Metapelite is available in dark greenish - grey, green, light green, light greenish grey 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 Metapelite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

» More Metamorphic Rocks

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

» More Compare Metamorphic Rocks