Trachyte
Extrusive igneous rock / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Trachyte (/ˈtreɪkaɪt, ˈtræk-/) is an extrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkali feldspar. It is usually light-colored and aphanitic (fine-grained), with minor amounts of mafic minerals,[1] and is formed by the rapid cooling of lava enriched with silica and alkali metals.[2][3][4] It is the volcanic equivalent of syenite.[5]
Igneous rock | |
Composition | |
---|---|
Classification | Felsic |
Primary | Alkali feldspar |
Secondary | Plagioclase, quartz, or feldspathoid |
Texture | Aphanitic |
Equivalents | Intrusive variant is syenite |
Trachyte is common wherever alkali magma is erupted, including in late stages of ocean island volcanism[6][7] and in continental rift valleys,[8] above mantle plumes,[9] and in areas of back-arc extension.[10] Trachyte has also been found in Gale crater on Mars.[11]
Trachyte has been used as decorative building stone[12] and was extensively used as dimension stone in the Roman Empire and the Republic of Venice.[13]