breccia

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Breccia sample returned from the Moon by Apollo 15 astronauts in 1971. This sample was found at Spur Crater at the foot of the Apennine range near the Mare Imbrium. It is composed of broken and shock-altered fragments that were fused together after an impact of a large object created the Imbrium Basin.

discrete particles of lunar soil

(Top) Basalt and (bottom) breccia samples returned from the Moon by Apollo 15 astronauts in 1971.The dark basalt rock, collected near Hadley Rille on the edge of the Imbrium Basin (Mare Imbrium), is about 13 cm (5.1 inches) long and is representative of the mare lavas that filled the basin 3.3 billion years ago, several hundred million years after the impact that created Imbrium. Its numerous vesicles were formed from bubbles of gas present in the lava when it solidified.The breccia sample, which measures about 6 cm (2.4 inches) across, was found at Spur Crater at the foot of the Apennine range, part of the material pushed up by the Imbrium impact. Dating from the formation of Imbrium, it is composed of broken and shock-altered fragments fused together during the impact.

rock textural terms

Discover

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Why We Celebrate MLK Day

Flag of Bhutan

6 Small Kingdoms of the World

United States elections portal page linking to each election interactive

A History of U.S. Presidential Elections in Maps

United States Presidential Election of 2012. Mitt Romney. Official portrait of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Dec. 6, 2012 after his reelection Nov. 6, 2012. Official portrait Obama

10 Democrats Who Made History

A tornado in rural Iowa sweeps dangerously near a farm. Weather storm

Why Does the United States Have More Tornadoes than Any Other Country?

Indian hijras participate in a religious procession in Gandhinagar, India, some 30 kilometers from Ahmedabad, on March 22, 2017. Hijra is a term used in South Asia which refers to transgender individuals who are born male. (gender identity, gender expression)

6 Cultures That Recognize More than Two Genders

World Data Locator Map: Australia

Is Australia an Island?

breccia: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

Breccia sample returned from the Moon by Apollo 15 astronauts in 1971. This sample was found at Spur Crater at the foot of the Apennine range near the Mare Imbrium. It is composed of broken and shock-altered fragments that were fused together after an impact of a large object created the Imbrium Basin.

discrete particles of lunar soil

(Top) Basalt and (bottom) breccia samples returned from the Moon by Apollo 15 astronauts in 1971.The dark basalt rock, collected near Hadley Rille on the edge of the Imbrium Basin (Mare Imbrium), is about 13 cm (5.1 inches) long and is representative of the mare lavas that filled the basin 3.3 billion years ago, several hundred million years after the impact that created Imbrium. Its numerous vesicles were formed from bubbles of gas present in the lava when it solidified.The breccia sample, which measures about 6 cm (2.4 inches) across, was found at Spur Crater at the foot of the Apennine range, part of the material pushed up by the Imbrium impact. Dating from the formation of Imbrium, it is composed of broken and shock-altered fragments fused together during the impact.

rock textural terms

See All Images →

Topics

fault breccia volcanic breccia orthobreccia epiclastic breccia intraformational breccia petromictic orthobreccia clastic rock rudite conglomerate tillite loess clay shale sandstone siltstone permeability marl lutite

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

sedimentary rock: Sedimentary rock types

Quiz

Basalt sample returned by Apollo 15, from near a long sinous lunar valley called Hadley Rille. Measured at 3.3 years old.

(Bed) Rocks and (Flint) Stones