Describing rock that has been broken down and crushed by mechanical stress without being heated to the point of melting.
Greek 'kata' (down) + 'klastos' (broken), used in petrology (rock science) to distinguish this type of rock alteration from thermal metamorphism.
This is what makes some rocks look sparkly and crushed at the same time—the minerals are smashed but not cooked, creating a beautiful chaotic texture visible under a microscope!
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