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An aphanitic volcanic sand grain, with fine-grained groundmass, as seen through a petrographic microscope Aphanites (adj. aphanitic ; from Ancient Greek αφανης (aphanḗs) 'invisible') are igneous rocks that are so fine-grained that their component mineral crystals are not visible to the naked eye [ 2 ] (in contrast to phanerites , in ...
Examples of aphanitic igneous rock include basalt, andesite, and rhyolite. Glassy or vitreous textures occur during some volcanic eruptions when the lava is quenched so rapidly that crystallization cannot occur. The result is a natural amorphous glass with few or no crystals. Examples include obsidian.
These structures are lighter colored than the host rock and typically range in diameter from 0.05mm to over 5 cm. [1] [2] [3] In 1648, Aldrovandi created the term variolite for aphanitic or fine-grained igneous rocks containing varioles. [4] [5] The weathering of varioles often cause variolites to have a pock-marked appearance.
Basanite (/ ˈ b æ s. ə ˌ n aɪ t /) is an igneous, volcanic rock with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. It is composed mostly of feldspathoids, pyroxenes, olivine, and calcic plagioclase and forms from magma low in silica and enriched in alkali metal oxides that solidifies rapidly close to the Earth's surface.
Trachyte (/ ˈ t r eɪ k aɪ t, ˈ t r æ k-/) is an extrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkali feldspar. It is usually light-colored and aphanitic (fine-grained), with minor amounts of mafic minerals, [1] and is formed by the rapid cooling of lava (or shallow intrusions) enriched with silica and alkali metals. [2] [3] [4] It is the ...
Extrusive rock refers to the mode of igneous volcanic rock formation in which hot magma from inside the Earth flows out (extrudes) onto the surface as lava or explodes violently into the atmosphere to fall back as pyroclastics or tuff. [1] In contrast, intrusive rock refers to rocks formed by magma which cools below the surface. [2]
Andesite is an aphanitic (fine-grained) to porphyritic (coarse-grained) igneous rock that is intermediate in its content of silica and low in alkali metals. It has less than 20% quartz and 10% feldspathoid by volume, with at least 65% of the feldspar in the rock consisting of plagioclase.
The following is a list of rock types recognized by geologists.There is no agreed number of specific types of rock. Any unique combination of chemical composition, mineralogy, grain size, texture, or other distinguishing characteristics can describe a rock type.