what are mafic igneous rocks?
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Mafic rock, in geology, igneous rock that is dominated by the silicates pyroxene, amphibole, olivine, and mica. These minerals are high in magnesium and ferric oxides, and their presence gives mafic rock its characteristic dark colour.
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Felsic magma or lava is higher in viscosity than mafic magma/lava. Felsic rocks are usually light in color and have specific gravities less than 3. The most common felsic rock is granite. Common felsic minerals include quartz, muscovite, orthoclase, and the sodium-rich plagioclase feldspars (albite-rich).
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Igneous rocks are formed from the solidification of molten rock material. ... Examples of intrusive igneous rocks are diorite, gabbro, granite, pegmatite, and peridotite. Extrusive igneous rocks erupt onto the surface, where they cool quickly to form small crystals. Some cool so quickly that they form an amorphous glass.
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The different elements present in the different igneous compositions will form different minerals. Rocks with high amounts of iron (Fe) tend to form minerals that are dark in color (such as olivine and pyroxene). As result, mafic rocks tend to be dark in color and felsic rocks tend to be lighter in color.
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Chemically, mafic rocks are enriched in iron, magnesium and calcium and typically dark in color. In contrast the felsic rocks are typically light in color and enriched in aluminium and silicon along with potassium and sodium. The mafic rocks also typically have a higher density than felsic rocks.
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One of the most common igneous rocks is granite (Figure 4.9). Granite is used extensively in building materials and making statues. Perhaps you have used a pumice stone to smooth your skin or to do jobs around the house. Pumice is another example of an igneous rock (Figure 4.10).
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The Birth of a Mountain Range Igneous rocks are formed when molten rock solidifies. Igneous rocks can be plutonic or volcanic. Plutonic rocks, such as granite, form when magma cools slowly in the depths of the earth. Volcanic rocks, such as basalt, rhyolite, and andesite form when lava cools rapidly on the surface.
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Amongst igneous rocks, mafic rocks contain the high-density minerals pyroxene and olivine, and are thus more dense than felsic rocks which contain more of the lower-density minerals quartz and feldspar. ... Clay can absorb substantial amount of water, swelling in volume while also increasing in density.
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The two main categories of igneous rocks are extrusive and intrusive. Extrusive rocks are formed on the surface of the Earth from lava, which is magma that has emerged from underground. Intrusive rocks are formed from magma that cools and solidifies within the crust of the planet.
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In general, igneous rocks have an increasing proportion of dark minerals as they become more mafic (Figure 7.16). The dark-coloured minerals are those higher in iron and magnesium (e.g., olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, biotite), and for that reason they are sometimes referred to collectively as ferromagnesian minerals.
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Enjoy our igneous rock facts for kids. ... Igneous rock is formed when magma cools and solidifies, it may do this above or below the Earth's surface. Magma can be forced into rocks, blown out in volcanic explosions or forced to the surface as lava. The atoms and molecules of melted minerals are what make up magma.
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Extrusive rock is igneous rock formed from lava that erupted onto Earth's surface. Basalt is the most common extrusive rock. Basalt forms much of the crust, including the oceanic crust, shield volcanoes, and lava plateaus. Igneous rock that formed when magma hardened beneath Earth's surface is called intrusive rock.
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There are three kinds of rock: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Igneous rocks form when molten rock (magma or lava) cools and solidifies. Sedimentary rocks originate when particles settle out of water or air, or by precipitation of minerals from water.
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Igneous rocks are formed from lava or magma. ... The two main types of igneous rocks are plutonic rocks and volcanic rocks. Plutonic rocks are formed when magma cools and solidifies underground. Volcanic rocks are formed from lava that flows on the surface of the Earth and other planets and then cools and solidifies.
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What are igneous rocks like? Igneous rocks contain randomly arranged interlocking crystals. The size of the crystals depends on how quickly the molten magma solidified: magma that cools slowly will form an igneous rock with large crystals. lava that cools quickly will form an igneous rock with small crystals.
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Igneous rock, any of various crystalline or glassy rocks formed by the cooling and solidification of molten earth material. Igneous rocks constitute one of the three principal classes of rocks, the others being metamorphic and sedimentary.
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There are also the kinds of mafic lava that are even a hotter than normal basaltic lava. One type is all ultra-mafic lava. Lava temperature tells us a lot about the different types of lava. Each brings important minerals and nutrients to the surface.