KOMATIITE

 

Komatiite

is an very rare ultramafic extrusive igneous rock, only formed from very hot magma. These hot lava flows may rapidly cool, resulting in a characteristic "spinifex" texture of komattite.

The source lava is so hot that the lava is thin, almost watery in consistency. Conditions for the formation of this lava only existed when the Earth was much younger and hotter, so komatiite formations are at least two billion years old.
ROCKS
 IGNEOUS
  ANDESITE
  ANORTHOSITE
  BASALT
  CARBONATITE
  DACITE
  DIORITE
  DUNITE
  GABBRO
  GRANITE
  KIMBERLITE
  KOMATIITE
  LAMPROPHYRES
  MONZONITE
  OBSIDIAN
  PEGMATITE
  PERIDOTITE
  PUMICE
  PYROXENITE
  RHYOLITE
  SCORIA
  SYENITE
  
 METAMORPHIC
  GNEISS
  MARBLE
  QUARTZITE
  PHYLLITE
  SCHIST
  SERPENTINITE
  SLATE
  SOAPSTONE
 
 SEDIMENTARY
  ANHYDRITE
  BANDED IRON FORMATION
  BRECCIA
  CHALK
  CHERT
  COAL
  CONGLOMERATE
  COQUINA
  DOLOMITE
  GYPSUM
  HALITE
  LIMESTONE
  MUDSTONE
  PHOSPHORITE
  SANDSTONE
  SHALE
  SILTSTONE
  TILLITE
 
UNCONSOLIDATED SEDIMENTS
  ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS
  LAHARS
  MORAINES
  PEAT
  SANDS
  SOILS
  TEPHRA
  TILLS
  ORES
  MINING TALUS PILES
 



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