Michael Smith, Author at Earth Know

Basalt Properties, Composition and Formation

Basalt is a mafic or dark-colored, volcanic or extrusive igneous rock. Mafic refers to rocks high in dark-colored minerals rich

Thundereggs or thunder eggs are nearly spherical structures or rocky bodies filled with mineral masses or crystals in rhyolite volcanic

Druses are small to medium irregular cavities in rocks lined by small, well-formed clusters or aggregates of projecting crystals, usually

Vugs are small to medium irregular cavities, pores, or voids in rocks often lined with mineral crystals whose composition differs

Amygdales are small, round, or almond-shaped vesicles partly or fully filled with secondary minerals mostly common in volcanic or extrusive

Amygdaloidal basalts are basalt rocks with vesicles partially or fully filled with secondary minerals. The filled vesicles are called amygdales,

Sheeting, exfoliation, or unloading is a physical weathering process. It happens when deeply buried rocks break into concentric slabs or

Kelp forests refer to a dense growth of different kelp species in nutrient-rich, cool, shallow water whose grouping resembles land

Salt weathering or salt crystal growth is physical or mechanical weathering. It is caused by the growth, expansion, or hydration

Ice or frost wedging is a mechanical or physical weathering process. It happens when water repeatedly seeps into rock cracks