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The average density of basalt is 2.9 g/cm 3, compared, for example, to granite’s typical density of 2.7 g/cm 3. [16] The viscosity of basaltic magma is relatively low—around 10 4 to 10 5 cP—similar to the viscosity of ketchup, but that is still several orders of magnitude higher than the viscosity of water, which is about 1 cP). [17]
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 ...
The melting temperature of dry granite at ambient pressure is 1215–1260 °C (2219–2300 °F); [13] it is strongly reduced in the presence of water, down to 650 °C at a few hundred megapascals of pressure. [14] Granite has poor primary permeability overall, but strong secondary permeability through cracks and fractures if they are present.
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.
Porphyritic texture in a granite. This is an intrusive porphyritic rock. The white, square feldspar phenocrysts are much larger than crystals in the surrounding matrix; eastern Sierra Nevada, Rock Creek Canyon, California. A porphyritic volcanic sand grain, as seen under the petrographic microscope. The large grain in the middle is of a much ...
Anorthosite (/ ə ˈ n ɔːr θ ə s aɪ t /) is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock characterized by its composition: mostly plagioclase feldspar (90–100%), with a minimal mafic component (0–10%). Pyroxene, ilmenite, magnetite, and olivine are the mafic minerals most commonly present.
Breccia is composed of coarse rock fragments held together by cement or a fine-grained matrix. [5] Like conglomerate, breccia contains at least 30 percent of gravel-sized particles (particles over 2mm in size), but it is distinguished from conglomerate because the rock fragments have sharp edges that have not been worn down. [6]
Its chief characteristic is a large difference in size between the tiny matrix crystals and the much larger phenocrysts. Porphyries may be aphanites or phanerites, that is, the groundmass may have microscopic crystals as in basalt, or crystals easily distinguishable with the eye, as in granite.