Showing posts with label molten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label molten. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Igneous Rock


one of the three main rock types that is formed by the forcing up of hot, molten rock (magma), from great depths, or lava flows on the surface associated with volcanoes.

Taken from Dictionary of Science

________________________________________

Igneous rock (from the Latin ignis meaning born of fire) is one of the three main rock types (the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock). Igneous rock is formed by magma (molten rock) cooling and becoming solid. Igneous rock may form with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive (plutonic) rocks or on the surface as extrusive (volcanic) rocks. This magma can be derived from partial melts of pre-existing rocks in either a planet's mantle or crust. Typically, the melting is caused by one or more of three processes: an increase in temperature, a decrease in pressure, or a change in composition. Over 700 types of igneous rocks have been described, most of them having formed beneath the surface of Earth's crust. These have diverse properties, depending on their composition and how they were formed.

Taken from Wikipedia

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Obsidian


a volcanic rock which is formed by the rapid cooling of a molten rock with a composition of granite. It is generally glassy, black with a vitreous (glassy) lustre and in composition contains a lot of silica (SiO2).

Taken from Dictionary of Science

________________________________________


Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools without crystal growth. Obsidian is commonly found within the margins of rhyolitic lava flows known as obsidian flows, where the chemical composition (high silica content) induces a high viscosity and polymerization degree of the lava. The inhibition of atomic diffusion through this highly viscous and polymerized lava explains the lack of crystal growth. Because of the lack of crystal structure, obsidian blade edges can reach almost molecular thinness, leading to its ancient use as projectile points, and its modern use as surgical scalpel blades.


Taken from Wikipedia