Rhyolite

This page is about a volcanic rock. For the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade. Rhyolite is an igneous Igneous rock

Igneous rocks are formed when molten rock [i] cools and solidifies, with or without crystal [i]li ...

, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from aphanitic to porphyritic Porphyry (geology)

Porphyry is a variety of igneous [i] rock [i] consisting of large-grained crystal [i]s, such as feldspar [i] ...

. The mineral Mineral

Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological [i] processes. ...

assemblage is usually quartz Quartz

Quartz is one of the most common mineral [i]s in the Earth [i]'s continental crust [i]. ...

, alkali feldspar Feldspar

Feldspar is the name of an important group of rock-forming mineral [i]s which make up perhaps as much as ...

and plagioclase Plagioclase

Plagioclase is a very important series of tectosilicate [i] mineral [i]s within the feldspar [i] ...

. Biotite Biotite

Biotite is a common phyllosilicate [i] mineral [i] within the mica [i] ...

and pyroxene Pyroxene

The pyroxenes are a group of important rock-forming silicate minerals [i] found in many igneous [i] and ...

are common accessory minerals. Rhyolite can be considered as the extrusive equivalent to the plutonic Intrusion

In geology [i], an intrusion is a body of igneous rock [i] that has crystal [i]lized from a molten magma [i] ...

granite Granite

Granite is a common and widely-occurring type of intrusive [i], felsic [i], igneous [i] ...

rock. Due to their high content of silica and low iron and magnesium contents, rhyolites polymerize quickly and form highly viscous lava Lava

Lava is molten rock [i] expelled by a volcano [i] during an eruption. ...

s.

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This page is about a volcanic rock. For the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.

Rhyolite is an igneous Igneous rock

Porphyry is a variety of igneous [i] rock [i] consisting of large-grained crystal [i]s, such as feldspar [i] ...

. The mineral Mineral

Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological [i] processes. ...

assemblage is usually quartz Quartz

Quartz is one of the most common mineral [i]s in the Earth [i]'s continental crust [i]....

, alkali feldspar Feldspar

Feldspar is the name of an important group of rock-forming mineral [i]s which make up perhaps as much as ...

and plagioclase Plagioclase

Plagioclase is a very important series of tectosilicate [i] mineral [i]s within the feldspar [i] ...

. Biotite Biotite

Biotite is a common phyllosilicate [i] mineral [i] within the mica [i] ...

and pyroxene Pyroxene

The pyroxenes are a group of important rock-forming silicate minerals [i] found in many igneous [i] and...

are common accessory minerals.

Rhyolite can be considered as the extrusive equivalent to the plutonic Intrusion

In geology [i], an intrusion is a body of igneous rock [i] that has crystal [i]lized from a molten magma [i] ...

granite Granite

Lava is molten rock [i] expelled by a volcano [i] during an eruption. ...

s. They can also occur as breccia Breccia

Breccia, the Italian [i] word for 'breach', is typically a rock [i] composed ...

s or in volcanic Volcano

A volcano is a geological landform [i] on the surface of the Earth [i] where magma [i] from th ...

necks and dikes. Rhyolites that cool too quickly to grow crystals form a natural glass or vitrophyre, also called obsidian Obsidian

Obsidian is a type of naturally occurring glass [i], produced by volcano [i]es when a felsic [i] lava [i] ...

. Slower cooling forms microscopic crystals in the lava and results in textures such as flow foliations, spherulitic, nodular, and lithophysal structures.

Rhyolite

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