What characteristics can be used to distinguish conglomerate from breccia?

Breccia and conglomerate are very similar rocks. They are both clastic sedimentary rocks composed of particles larger than two millimeters in diameter. The difference is in the shape of the large particles. In breccia the large particles are angular in shape, but in conglomerate the particles are rounded. read more

If you are not a student of geology, you might find talking about conglomerate and breccia very impossible, and you will not know the difference between them either. These are sedimentary rock types that are so similar that many question their classification into two different rock types. read more

Igneous Breccia or Volcanic Breccia: A term used for a rock composed of angular fragments of igneous rocks. "Flow breccia" and "pyroclastic breccia" could be called "igneous breccia." Impact Breccia: A deposit of angular rock debris produced by the impact of an asteroid or other cosmic body. read more