P220 (XPL): Black Basalt
Item
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Title
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P220 (XPL): Black Basalt
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Description
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This basalt has been viewed in thin section to identify microlites within the groundmass of the rock. There are larger embayed olivine crystals, possibly from a previous melt. It is very common to see microlites with olivine due to the rapid cooling of the melt and early growth of olivine in many common melts. Microlites are small crystals that are usually needle shaped and so small that they can rarely be identified. If they can be identified they are often pyroxenes, such as augite. These crystals make up the groundmass of a rapid cooled igneous rock, usually occurring in volcanic environments.
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Subject
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Microlites/Groundmass
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Creator
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Ryan Sanders
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Source
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Lafayette College Geology Department
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Date
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2/26/15
