What is Breccia?
[[File:Basalt breccia.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Basalt]] breccia (section) ]] [[File:Breccia mcr1.jpg|thumb|200px|Breccia. Notice the angular nature of the large [[clast]]s]] [[File:DebrisFlowDepositRestingSpringsPass.JPG|thumb|220px|[[Tertiary]] breccia at Resting Springs Pass, [[Mojave Desert]], [[California]].]] [[File:Umberto tomb pantheon.jpg|thumb|230px|Tomb of Umberto I in the Pantheon.]] [[File:MarmiForoTraianoRoma.jpg|thumb|230px|Original pavement of the Forum of [[Trajan]] in [[Rome]]]] [[File:Napoli Palazzo reale - particolare dei marmi all'ingresso 1040721.JPG|thumb|220px|[[Marble]] breccia from [[Naples]].]] [[File:Tawaret.jpg|right|thumb|120px|'''Breccia''' statue of the [[Ancient Egypt]]ian goddess [[Tawaret]].]] '''Breccia'''<ref>{{lang-it| meaning 'breach'}} pronounced 'brechia'</ref> is a type of [[Rock (geology)|rock]] formed of broken fragments of [[minerals]] or rock [[cement]]ed together by a fine-grained [[Matrix (geology)|matrix]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meteorlab.com/METEORLAB2001dev/glossary.htm|title=Glossary of Meteoritical Terms|work=meteorlab.com|year=2003|access-date=24 July 2012|archive-date=25 December 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011225024208/http://www.meteorlab.com/METEORLAB2001dev/glossary.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The matrix may be similar to or different from the composition of the fragments. Rocks formed by sticking together pieces of previous rocks ([[clast]]s) are called [[clastic rock]]s. There are two types of clastic rock: [[Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]]s and breccias. What divides these two categories is the amount of rounding. The particles that make up conglomerates are well rounded, whereas in breccias they are angular. == Origins == A breccia may have a variety of different origins, as indicated by the named types including [[sedimentary]] breccia, [[tectonics|tectonic]] breccia, [[igneous]] breccia, impact breccia and [[hydrothermal]] breccia. The basic sequence is as follows. Sediment is laid down in the sea, and is gradually tran