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Alkali basalt is one of the rocks comprising the Pali-Aike volcanic field, in Argentina. [1]Alkali basalt or alkali olivine basalt is a dark-colored, porphyritic volcanic rock [2] usually found in oceanic and continental areas associated with volcanic activity, such as oceanic islands, continental rifts and volcanic fields. [3]
The calc-alkaline magma series is one of two main subdivisions of the subalkaline magma series, the other subalkaline magma series being the tholeiitic series. A magma series is a series of compositions that describes the evolution of a mafic magma, which is high in magnesium and iron and produces basalt or gabbro, as it fractionally crystallizes to become a felsic magma, which is low in ...
Rocks in the alkaline magma series are distinguished from rocks in the subalkaline tholeiitic and calc-alkaline magma series by their high content of alkali metal oxides (K 2 O plus Na 2 O) relative to silica (SiO 2). They are distinct from the rare peralkaline magmas, which have excess alkali oxides relative to alumina (Na 2 O + K 2 O > Al 2 O ...
The thickest sections of Armadillo basalt flows are exposed in Sezill Creek canyon, Kadeya Creek canyon and near the southwestern end of Raspberry Pass where they reach thicknesses of up to 180 metres (590 feet). [55] Individual flows of alkali basalt are thin and voluminous, suggesting they were highly fluid at the time of their eruption. [50]
Basalt is usually dark grey to black in colour, due to a high content of augite or other dark-coloured pyroxene minerals, [9] [10] [11] but can exhibit a wide range of shading. Some basalts are quite light-coloured due to a high content of plagioclase; these are sometimes described as leucobasalts.
The tholeiitic magma series (/ ˌ θ oʊ l eɪ ˈ ɪ t ɪ k /) is one of two main magma series in subalkaline igneous rocks, the other being the calc-alkaline series. A magma series is a chemically distinct range of magma compositions that describes the evolution of a mafic magma into a more evolved, silica rich end member.
The TAS classification can be used to assign names to many common types of volcanic rocks based upon the relationships between the combined alkali and silica contents. These chemical parameters are useful because the relative proportions of alkalis and silica are important in determining both normative mineralogy and actual mineralogy.
The Nido Formation consists of alkali basalt and hawaiite lava flows that issued from multiple eruptive centres. K–Ar dating has yielded ages of 7.8 ± 0.3 million years, 5.5 ± 1.6 million years, 4.5 ± 0.3 million years and 4.4 ± 0.5 million years for Nido alkali basalt.