EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -A conglomerate has rounded clasts while a breccia has angular clasts. Since water transport rapidly rounds large clasts, breccias normally indicate minimal transport. They commonly form as rock-fall and debris flow deposits along cliffs, and underground along faults or where caves collapse.

Detailed explanation-2: -The gravel-size material in conglomerates consists mainly of rounded to sub rounded rock fragments (clasts). By contrast, breccias are aggregates of angular, gravel-size fragments. The particles in breccias are distinguished from those in conglomerates by their sharp edges.

Detailed explanation-3: -A breccia has angular fragments, whereas a conglomerate has rounded rounded fragments. In each rock, the fragments are roughly the same size ("gravels"). A breccia suggests sediment that didn’t travel far from its source.

Detailed explanation-4: -Rounding refers to whether clasts have sharp edges and corners or not (Figure 8.19, bottom). If the grains are rough, with lots of edges and corners, then they are referred to as angular. Grains with smooth surfaces are rounded. Grains in between can be sub-angular or sub-rounded.

Detailed explanation-5: -How are conglomerate and breccia different? Conglomerate is a rounded gravel size and breccia is a angular gravel size.