MAFIC ROCKS

(Non feldspathoidal )

Nurcahyo I. Basuki
Teknik Geologi ITB
Oktober 2010

Mafic rocks:
- (Hand specimen) Dark in color
- (Hand specimen) Color index: > 40
- Silica content: 45 52%
- Two groups: 1. Calc alkaline (non -feldspathoidal)
2. Feldspathoidal (usually with nepheline)

- Two groups (based on textures): 1. Basalt - diabase

2. Gabbro

Basalts (+ diabases)
Textural characteristics:
- Basalts fine grained ; diabases medium-grained
- Most are holocrystalline (pheno + groundmass), except some parts
of groundmass are glass (intersertal texture)
- Porphyritic and intergranular textures are common in basalts
- Ophitic and sub-ophitic textures are typical of diabases

Ophitic texture. A single pyroxene envelops several well-developed plagioclase laths.

Width 1 mm. Skaergrd intrusion, E. Greenland. John Winter and Prentice Hall.

Ophitic texture - plagioclase grains are partly to completely enclosed by pyroxene, indicating that
the minerals crystallized out of the magma to in a certain order : first plagioclase, then pyroxene
(http://www.cas.usf.edu/~jryan/rocks.html)

Sub-ophitic - Sub-ophitic texture , Chilcotin Group Basalt, B.C..

Note clinopyroxenes partially surrounding plagioclase laths.

Intergranular Pyroxene crystals occupy spaces between plagioclase laths.

Amygdaloidal
The oval feature in this photomicrograph is an amygdule: a forme rly open vesicle which has been
filled with a secondary mineral(s), probably a zeolite mineral.

The photos above show chlorite filling a vesicle in basalt.

Plane polarized light on the left, crossed polarizers on the right.

Basalts (+ diabases)

Increasing undersaturation

Based on level of undersaturation in SiO2:

Remember:
normative (or norm) does not
necessarily correspond to
modal mineralogy

1- Tholeiites:
a. slightly oversaturated normative Q (quartz) and abundant hy
(hypersthene)
b. saturated abundant normative hy
2- Olivine tholeiites, undersaturated normative ol (olivine) and hy
3- Olivine basalts, undersaturated normative ol ; hy insignificant or
absent
4- Alkali olivine basalts, strongly undersaturated normative ol ; minor
ne (nepheline)
5- Basanites, strongly undersaturated normative ol and significant ne
These rocks are
feldspathoidal mafic rocks;
will be discussed later

Basalts (+ diabases)
Based on mineralogical data:
1- Tholeiitic basalts pyroxene and plagioclase (labradorite) are the
main principal minerals. Mg-olivine is almost present, especially
as phenocrysts. Mg-pyroxene may be present as pheno and/or in
groundmass. SiO 2 may be concentrated in the interstitial glass, or
can be present as fine-grained interstitial residue.
2- Tholeiitic olivine basalts diopsidic augite, Mg-olivine
(microphenocryst and groundmass) and plagioclase (labradorite).
3- Alkali olivine basalts Mg-olivine, augite, nepheline rarely present in
basalts, but interstitial analcime may be present in diabases. Little
K-feldspar (rimming plagioclase) or brown biotite may be present
in the groudmass.
4- Picrite basalts abundant phenocrysts of Mg-olivine (cummulates)
or augite, or both. Contain NO feldspathoid minerals.

Diabase

Tholeiitic basalt

Tholeiitic olivine basalts

Alkali olivine basalts

Picrite basalts

SPILITE: a very fine-grained igneous rock of an altered basalt (often vesiculars), containing feldspar
(albite in composition) together with chlorite, calcite, and epidote.

Gabbros, Norites, Troctolites, Anorthosites, Pyroxenites

Textural characteristics:
- Plagioclase: more calcic than An50
- Holocrystalline, coarse to medium-grained
- Subhedral to anhedral granular textures
- Ophitic and poikilitic textures may be present

Gabbros, Norites, Troctolites, Anorthosites, Pyroxenites

Based on mineralogical data:
1- Gabbros plagioclase and diopsidic augite; olivine and hornblende
are the main principal minerals.
2- Norites plagioclase plus hypersthene, with subordinate augite;
olivine may be present.
3- Troctolites predominant plagioclase plus olivine.
4- Anorthosites predominant plagioclase (An 35 An80), minor
hypersthene or augite are common.
5- Magnesian and calcmagnesian pyroxenites Mg-orthopyroxene or
diopsidic clinopyroxene.

Gabbro plagioclase, olivine and pyroxene dominate this rock.

Norite - plagioclase and hypersthene (orthopyroxene) dominate this rock.

Norite - plagioclase and hypersthene (orthopyroxene) dominate this rock.

Troctolites : predominant plagioclase plus olivine

Anorthosite : predominant plagioclase, plus minor hypersthene or augite

(http://www.geolab.unc.edu/Petunia/IgMetAtlas/plutonic-micro%7F/anorthosite.X.html)
http://

Anorthosite : predominant plagioclase, plus minor pyroxene

Magnesian pyroxenites (bronzitite) - An orthopyroxenite dominated by hypersthene.

(http://www.geolab.unc.edu/Petunia/IgMetAtlas/plutonic-micro%7F/bronzitite.X.html)