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Breccia Facts

Breccia Facts
Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock composed of angular fragments of older rocks joined together by smaller particles or bonded by mineral cement. The fragments are usually around two millimeters or larger. It forms where angular, broken fragments of mineral or rock debris accumulate. The angular shape of the particles indicates minimal transport. They commonly form as debris flow deposits along cliffs and underground along faults or where caves collapse and over a long period of time the rocks become cemented together by minerals. The type formed in a specific location will depend on the mineral fragments found in the area. The angular rocks in the breccia are easily visible to the naked eye.
Interesting Breccia Facts:
Breccia is very similar to conglomerate. The main difference is the fragments in breccia have not been rounded by the action of moving water as in a conglomerate.
Silica, calcite and iron oxides are the most common cementing minerals.
There are many compositions of Breccia. The composition is determined by the mineral material and rock that the angular fragments were produced from.
The composition of breccia can be influenced by the climate.
The type of rock that the fragments were produced from is often used as an adjective in the name of the rock. For example: granite breccia, sandstone breccia, granite breccia, basalt breccia and chert breccia.
When a breccia contains many types of rock fragments, they are known as polymict breccias or polymictic breccias. For example, a breccia that contains clasts of multiple types of limestone is referred to as a limestone breccia.
Breccia can be a colorful rock. The colors of the matrix or cement, along with the color of the rock fragments, determine its color.
This rock is used as architectural stones for paving stone, building stone, tiles, window sills, and interior building veneers.
The word breccia originated from the Italian language which means "loose gravel".
Sedimentary breccia may be formed by the debris flow of a submarine.
Fault breccia is produced by fracture and grinding during faulting and found within the fault plane.
When lavas pick up rock fragments, they can form volcanic breccia, also referred to as pillow breccias. When the crust of a lava flow is broken up during movement, it is called flow breccia.
An impact breccia is rocks composed of angular rock fragments from the impact of an android.


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