Breccia

Breccia
Breccia

Fragments in breccia are angular and may be of any type of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rock. These fragments are bound together in a fine- to mediumgrained matrix.

TEXTURE Bedding structures are usually visible only on a large scale in the field. Fossils are uncommon in such rocks. The large fragments of rocks and minerals in breccia are angular, and the surrounding matrix material is also angular.

ORIGIN Often forms as scree at the base of cliffs. Breccia has a similar origin to limestone breccia, but the fragments in it are not calcareous. The accumulation of the large, angular fragments can cake place in a number of environments, especially where mechanical weathering is active.

Grain size: Very coarse

Classification: Detrital

Fossils: Uncommon

Grain shape: Angular