Fossil Collection Basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a hard, black volcanic rock. It is the most common rock type in the earth’s crust. Most of the ocean floor is made of basalt. The minerals in basalt include olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase. It is relatively low in silica. Silica is what makes volcanos explosive. So basalt lavas tend to flow easily without explosive events. Basalt erupts at temperatures between 1100 to 1250° C. This basalt comes from Utah.
