Definition
Pyrolite is an igneous rock consisting of about three parts of peridotite and one part of basalt
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
Origin
Pike County, U.S
England
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the chemical and mineralogical composition of the upper mantle of the Earth
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Brecciated, Clastic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
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, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Pyrolite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
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.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Dull to Pearly
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
0 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Pyrolite 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. Pyrolite vs Breccia characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pyrolite and Properties of Breccia. Learn more about Pyrolite vs Breccia in the next section. The interior uses of Pyrolite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration 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 Pyrolite and Breccia, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pyrolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Breccia include As dimension stone, Construction aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.
More about Pyrolite and Breccia
Here you can know more about Pyrolite and Breccia. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pyrolite and Breccia consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pyrolite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene 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 Pyrolite vs Breccia, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pyrolite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Pyrolite is Rough and Shiny and that of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pyrolite vs Breccia. The hardness of Pyrolite is 5.5-6 and that of Breccia is 7. The types of Pyrolite are Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite 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 Pyrolite and Breccia is white. The specific heat capacity of Pyrolite is 1.25 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.Pyrolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Breccia is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.