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Caliche Problems and Uses
The presence of caliche in a soil or sediment has many practical implications. These might include:
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How Does Caliche Form?
Caliche has a diversity of origins. The major process of forming caliche begins when calcium carbonate is leached from upper soil horizons by downward-percolating solutions. Dissolved calcium carbonate might also be delivered to the site in runoff and then percolate into the soil. The calcium carbonate then precipitates in a deeper soil horizon to form…
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What Does Caliche Look Like?
Typical caliche colors are white, gray, brown and reddish-brown. Well-developed caliche can have an appearance that resembles conglomerate, breccia, coquina, or sandstone if the cemented particles are of the proper type and size. Caliche can be a very hard, dense, heavy, and durable material if it is firmly bound by a cement that completely fills the interstitial voids between the…
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What Is Caliche?
“Caliche” is a shallow layer of soil or sediment in which the particles have been cemented together by the precipitation of mineral matter in their interstitial spaces. The cement is usually calcium carbonate; however, cements of magnesium carbonate, gypsum, silica, iron oxide, and a combination of these materials are known. Caliche is a common feature of…
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What are the Uses of Breccia?
The rock, breccia, has very few uses. It can be used as fill or road base where the technical requirements are minimal. It is rarely used in important projects because its composition, degree of cementation and competence are highly variable. The word “breccia” is used as a trade name for a group of dimension stone…
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Is the Word “Breccia” Used in Other Ways?
Geologists have been very generous in their use of the word “breccia.” It is common to hear the term used when referring to a rock or rock debris made up of angular fragments. Although it is mainly used for rocks of sedimentary origin, it can be used for other types of rocks. A few more…
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What Color is Breccia?
Breccia can be any color. The color of the matrix or cement along with the color of the angular rock fragments determine its color. Breccia can be a colorful rock, as shown in the photos on this page.
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What is Breccia’s Composition?
Breccia has many compositions. Its composition is mainly determined by the rock and mineral material that the angular fragments were produced from. The climate of the source area can also influence composition. Most breccias are a mix of rock fragments and mineral grains. The type of rock that the fragments were produced from is often used as an adjective…
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How Does Breccia Differ From Conglomerate?
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. The particle shape reveals a difference in how far…
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How Does Breccia Form?
Breccia forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate. One of the most common locations for breccia formation is at the base of an outcrop where mechanical weathering debris accumulates. Another is in stream deposits a short distance from the outcrop or on an alluvial fan. Some breccias form from debris flow deposits. The…