Breccia is distinguished from conglomerate by its angular clasts.
Rock group | Sedimentary |
Origin | Clastic/detrital |
Particle size (Wentworth) | >2 mm |
Breccia in Hand Sample
Volcaniclastic breccia from Mount St. Helens
Volcaniclastic breccia from the Gallatin Range, Montana
Fault breccia from the Hebgen Lake Fault
Landslide breccia from the Crazy Cat landslide in El Paso, Texas
Brecciated quartzite from the Cambrian-aged Antietam Formation
Marble breccia
Plate breccia
Intrusion breccia
Breccia in basalt
Serpentinite breccia from the North Anatolian Fault
Breccia in Thin Section
Volcanic breccia, plane polars
Volcanic breccia, crossed polars
Marble breccia, plane polars
Marble breccia, crossed polars
Lunar sample 65015, plane polars
Lunar sample 65015, crossed polars
Lunar sample 65015 is impact breccia collected from the moon by the Apollo 16 astronauts! It was imaged by, and is used with the permission of, Paul Karabinos. NASA offers a brief but full and useful description here. The Lunar and Planetary Institute hosts dozens of photos, including the hand sample from which it was cut, chipping diagrams, and photos documenting every cut of the sample.