Columnar basalt
| Igneous rock | |
 |
|
| Composition | |
|---|---|
| Mafic: amphibole and pyroxene, sometimes plagioclase, feldspathoids, and/or olivine. |
Basalt (pronounced /bəˈsɔːlt/, /ˈbæsɒlt/, /ˈbæsɔːlt/, or /ˈbeɪsɔːlt/) is a common extrusive igneous (volcanic) rock formed from the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of a planet or moon. Flood basalt describes the formation in a series of lava basalt flows.
By definition, basalt is an aphanitic (fine-grained) igneous rock with generally 45-55% silica (SiO2) and less than 10% feldspathoid by volume, and where at least 65% of the rock is feldspar in the form of plagioclase. It is the most common volcanic rock type on Earth, being a key component of oceanic crust as well as the principal volcanic rock in many mid-oceanic islands, including Iceland, Réunion and the islands of Hawaii. Basalt commonly features a very fine-grained or glassy matrix interspersed with visible mineral grains. The average density is 3.0 gm/cm3.
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