Igneous petrology EOSC 321

Reference Collection of Mafic volcanic rocks

Introduction: This collection demonstrates mafic volcanic rocks, i.e. basalts. Basalt is the
most common terrestrial volcanic rock. Volcanic rocks classified in thin sections as
basalts can have substantial variations in chemical compositions. Chemical analysis is
absolutely necessary to distinguish, for example, between trachybasalt and basanite. Both
of these chemical sub-types of basalt comprise of plagioclase, augite, olivine and Fe-Ti
oxide. Note that in the absence of chemical data we call all rocks in our reference thin
sections "basalts". If basalt has olivine in the groundmass (not as phenocryst!), it should
be called Olivine basalt. Olivine basalt is Si-undersaturated, alkaline in character.
From textures and experiments on natural samples, the common crystallization
sequence for basalts is olivine ( Mg-Spl) => Ol +Plag ( Mg-Spl) =>Ol+Plag+Cpx.
Thus, augite clinopyroxene is rare as a phenocrystal phase, but comprises up to 50% of
the groundmass in basalts.
An important distinction between silica-saturated basalts and basalts of alkaline
series can be made through petrographic observations. Alkali olivine basalt has olivine in
the groundmass, but rarely has glass in the groundmass. Olivine phenocrysts tell us
nothing about alkalinity.
Picrite is an olivine-rich basalt, and rocks with more than 20% of olivine could
possibly be termed picrites or picro-basalts. However, a correct classification of a rock as
picrite cannot be done petrographically and should be confirmed chemically. Ankaramite
is an alkaline analog to picrite, with lots of Ol and Cpx phenocrysts. An ultramafic
character of the ankaramite thin section in the reference Hawaiian collection is suggested
by 20% of Ol phenocrysts. However, the alkaline affinity of the rock is not evident in the
thin section and can be proved only chemically.
Note that clinopyroxene-plagioclase fine-grained rocks are called basalts if the
plagioclase is labradorite-anorthite, or andesites if the plagioclase is andesine.
Make sure that you see the following important rock characteristics in the
Reference Collection:

1. Mineralogical differences between an alkali basalt and a silica-saturated basalt

2. Mineralogical differences between a basalt and more ultrabasic picrite/ankaramite
3. Mineralogical differences between a basalt and more felsic andesite
4. Crystal habits of crystobalite common in volcanic rocks
5. Trachytic, intergranular and intersertal textures
6. Characteristic alteration of olivine phenocrysts to iddingsite
7. Characteristic alteration of clinopyroxene to uralite
8. Characteristic alteration of plagioclase to saussurite
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Reference collection: Mafic volcanic rocks

Thin Section: 953 1
Sample:P 469
Rock Type: Basalt
Location: Stanford, California
Thin Section Description:
Texture: Porphyritic. The groundmass has domains of intersertal texture (glass
occupies the wedge-shaped interstices between Plag laths), intergranular texture
(the spaces between Plag laths are occupied by one or more grains of Px) and
ophitic texture.

11% Phenocrysts of Alk Feldpar (7%) and Chloritized clinopyroxene (4%).

The Feldspar phenocrystas are corroded and embayed, have a speckled
center with a thin rim of clear feldspar. The speckled core contains
numerous inclusions of glass – the Fsp being a skeletal crystal.
89% Groundmass:
36% Plagioclase. Euhedral to subhedral shapes, An68
26% Clinopyroxene. Subhedral to anhedral shapes, forms small crystals and
larger poikilocrystals enclosing Plag. Partly replaced by yellow Chl.
27% Glass, black, N<Nbalsam

Secondary Minerals: Chlorite after Cpx, yellow, has crude radiate to aggregate
structure.

Thin Section: 974 2

Sample: P 64
Rock Type: Basalt
Location:
Thin Section Description:
Texture: Aphanitic with intergranular groundmass.
3% Phenocrysts of zoned Plag with glass inclusions. The amount of Plag
phenocrysts is lower than the cut-off for the porphyritic texture (5%).
97% Groundmass:
65% Plagioclase. Euhedral to subhedral shapes, An60
30% Clinopyroxene. Euhedral rhombic to anhedral shapes, partly altered to
green Chl.
5% Magnetite, euhedral, with red thin rims of secondary hematite.

Secondary Minerals: Chlorite after Cpx, green

Hematite after magnetite

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Sample:P 2722
Thin Section: 1114
Rock Type: Basalt with Crystobalite
Location:

Thin Section Description:

Texture: Vesicular (about 10-15% pore space), intergranular to ophitic
63% Plagioclase, euhedral
25% Clinopyroxene, anhedral
5% Opaque mineral forms euhedral triangular crystals surrounded sometime
by “atoll” rims of another opaque mineral
3% Hypersthene
1% Crystobalite. Characterized by moderate negative releief, uniaxial
negative. Present in fibrous yellowish mantles on plagioclase and in
spherulites.
3% High relief, brown-red Mineral (Pseudobrookite? Rutile? Ilmenite? Fe
oxide mineral?)

Comments: coarse –grained patches alternate with patches with smaller grain
sizes.

Sample: P 2613-2612
Thin Section: 732, 728
Rock Type: Vesicular Olivine Basalt (alkaline)
Location: Quilchena Creek

Thin Section Description:

Texture: Vesicular (30-50% vesicles), aphanitic with sub-ophitic groundmass
Groundmass:
5-10% Ol, euhedral. Larger crystals have reddish rims of iddingsite
formed by oxidation in the process of extrusion and final
quenching.
25-40% Plagioclase, euhedral, An66.
18-28% Cpx, anhedral
2% Glass, brown, interstitial
1% Opaque mineral in rod-like grains (ilmenite?)
Secondary Minerals: Iddingsite aggregate. i.e. fine-grained reddish- or
yellowish-brown material that consists of goetite, clay, chlorite, quartz,
talc, and other minerals. It is a characteristic alteration of olivine
phenocrysts in response to higher oxygen fugacity and lower volatile
content in quenched lavas.

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Thin Section: 871 12

Sample: P 1737
Rock Type: Basalt
Location: Porcupine Mt., N.W. of Big Bar
Thin Section Description:
Texture: Porphyritic with trachytic groundmass
Phenocrysts:
5% Olivine, subhedral. Rims are altered to iddingsite, i.e. fine-grained
reddish- or yellowish-brown metrial that consists of goetite, clay, chlorite,
quartz, talc, and other minerals.
95% Groundmass
70% Plagioclase- Euhedral to subhedral, ~An63-66.
17% Clinopyroxene, anhedral
5% Orthopyroxene, anhedral
3% Opaque mineral, euhedral, rhombic (magnetite?)
Few grains of K-Fsp

Thin Section: 924 15

Sample: P 619
Rock Type: Altered andesite
Location: Boulder, Montana
Thin Section Description:
Texture: Aphanitic, hypidiomorphic, as all minerals are subhedral
Phenocrysts: Few grains of plagioclase
Groundmass:
55% Secondary fibrous green amphibole, probably after clinopyroxene.
35% Plagioclase, An 35
5% Biotite, brown
5% Opaque mineral, euhedral identified as pyrite in a polished thin
section
Secondary minerals:
55% Amphibole, fine-grained, fibrous, light-coloured green. It is called uralite
when it replaces Cpx
Chlorite after uralitic amphibole.

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Thin Section: 597

Sample: P 1852
Rock Type: Vesicular Olivine Basalt (alkaline)
Location: Snake River, Ropy lava, Devil’s Ranch

Thin Section Description:

Texture: Vesicular (30% vesicles), hypohyaline (50-90% of rock is glass),
microporphyritic
Phenocrysts:
1-4% euhedral olivines ½-1mm, rhombic or skeletal, often with iddingsite yellow
rims
Groundmass:
3% euhedral olivines, sometime skeletal
10% Plagioclase An 56-67 in T/s 597
0-3% Brown glass, n>balsam.
0-1% Cpx, subhedral
80% Black opaque glass
Secondary Minerals: Iddingsite after Olivine

Thin Section: 659

Sample: P 999
Rock Type: Vesicular Basalt
Location: Near Risk Creek, Chilcotin

Thin Section Description:

Texture: Vesicular (10% vesicles), porphyritic, intergranular
Phenocrysts: 4% euhedral olivines always with iddingsite yellow rims
Groundmass (96%):
64% Plagioclase, euhedral, An64
30% Clinopyroxene, subhedral, round
2% Opaque anhedral and elongate mineral (ilmenite?)
Secondary Minerals: reddish- yellow iddingsite after Olivine

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Thin Section: 1257

Sample: P515
Rock Type: Basalt
Location: Jamestown, California

Thin Section Description:

Texture: Porphyritic with intersertal groundmass
Phenocrysts: 25%
20% Plagioclase, with numerous glass inclusions, euhedral, An50
4% Olivine.
1% Clinopyroxene,. Brownish
Few grains of Orthopyroxene. Low birefringence, surrounded by
clinopyroxene.

75% groundmass:
40% brown glass. Glass filled with scattered speckled globulites
30% Plagioclase, euhedral laths
5% Ol + clinopyroxene
1% Opaque mineral in triangular grains and in rods
Secondary Minerals: Talc (?) in fractures in Px and Ol

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Hawaiian Basalts

Thin section: Mu 74-1(A)

Sample: MU 72 9A, 935B 4A, MU 74
Rock Type: Basalt
Location: Mauna Ulu vent, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii (1974 flow)

Thin section description:

Texture: Vesicular, with 35-40% vesicles--subspherical with minor
coalescence and deformation,
vitrophyric, intersertal

Phenocrysts:
10% olivine , mostly subhedral (few skeletal) no zoning or kink banding
present. Some have spinel inclusions.
1-2% Plagioclase, sub-anhedral lath shaped plagioclase microphenocrysts

Groundmass: 48%:
50% glass, some with spherulite intergrowth (radiating fibrous crystals)
sometimes growing around glomerocrysts of olivine and plagioclase
microlites

Thin section: 1942A1, 1935B-2B, 1935A1(2), 1935A2-2A (note some have blue epoxy)
Rock Type: Basalt
Location: Mauna Loa, Hawaii

Thin section description:

Texture: microphyric with some intersertal glass,
Vesicular (5-30% vesicles depending on thin section)
Microphenocrysts:
20% plagioclase ; subhedral, lath-shaped (with trachytic texture)

5-10% clinopyroxene ; anhedral with inclined extinction (often elongate)

1-2% olivine phenocrysts;

groundmass:
plagioclase, clinopyroxene, and opaques with devitrified glass.

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Thin section: A (4 t/s’s), HW-2(1)

Rock Type: Basalt. Chemical composition classifies this rock as ankaramite
Location: Hawaii (Haleakala?)

Thin section description:

Texture: porphyritic
20% olivine; large anhedral phenocrysts some showing zoning
5-10% clinopyroxene phenocrysts; anhedral and more greenish in plane light
than olivine, show inclined extinction

10% microphenocrysts of resorbed plagioclase

Groundmass:
devitrified glass, opaque mineral (ilmenite, magnetite), plagioclase, and
clinopyroxene
Note: glomerocrysts of cpx, opaques, plag +/- olivine indicate sequence of
cystallization (first minerals to crystallize are always internal to the later ones, if
first minerals are not skeletal)

Thin section: P3651-1970 (4)

Sample: 3651
Rock Type: Basalt
Location: Mauna Loa, Hawaii

Thin section description:

Texture: porphyritic,
10% vesicles; irregular with some showing flow deformation
<5% olivine phenocrysts;
5% orthopyroxene glomerocrysts and phenocrysts. Opx is anhedral, with low
birefringence (1st order grays and yellows) and parallel extinction in cross
sections with one set of cleavage.

Groundmass: devitrified glass, opaque mineral (ilmenite, magnetite), and

plagioclase

383637242.doc Igneous Petrology EOSC 321 Lab