What does aphanitic texture mean? - ProProfs Discuss
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What does aphanitic texture mean?

Asked by King.qaedar, Last updated: Apr 12, 2024

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C. Bernthal

C. Bernthal

Its kind of my job to give answers

C. Bernthal
C. Bernthal, Teacher, MA, P.hD, Seattle

Answered Feb 19, 2021

Aphanitic texture is a type of texture that is described to be a small crystal rock. Aphanitic rock cannot be seen with bare eyes; it can only be seen with the help of a microscope. This came about the name aphanitic, which was gotten from the Greek word aphanes which means invisible. It has relations with the igneous rock.

Examples of aphanitic rocks are basalt, andesite, and rhyolite. Aphanitic rock's texture came as a result of the rapid cooling of magma which does not allow a bigger version of the crystal. They are most times referred to as microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline. It is usually smaller than 0.5mm.

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N. Jarah

N. Jarah

N. Jarah
N. Jarah

Answered Feb 02, 2021

The word aphanitic describes small crystals. These rocks are considered either microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline according to whether their elements can be seen under a microscope. Relating to or consisting of aphanite, igneous rocks have crystals that are too fine to be observed by the naked eye. The rock comprises small crystals, which are usually less than half mm in size. This texture arises from rapid cooling in the volcanic or hypabyssal environment.

An example of an aphanitic rock is basalt rock. It is fashioned when crystalline fabrics are formed when magma solidifies in response to a precipitous loss of heat and dissolved gas. The texture indicates the rate at which igneous rock is abated, but it does not have a relationship with the rock's organic or mineralogical makeup.

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Jessica Rhodes

Jessica Rhodes

The economy is the basis of development, so I'd like to explore and share my knowledge more and more online and offline.

Jessica Rhodes
Jessica Rhodes, Economic advisor, Master of Economics (MEcon), Ohio

Answered Jan 22, 2021

Aphanitic texture is made of small crystals that can not be seen with bare eyes or a hand lens. It is related to igneous rock; they are crystal fine, which makes it one of the reasons why their properties cannot be seen with naked eyes. They are less than ½ mm in size. The texture of this rock is a result of the rapid cooling in the volcanic or hypabyssal environment.

The sudden cooling of the molten magma doe does not allow the bigger crystal, and this is caused by a sudden loss of dissolved heat or gases. The word aphanitic was gotten from the Greek word aphanes, which means invisible. They are often referred to as microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline.

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Daniel Frederic

Daniel Frederic

Daniel Frederic
Daniel Frederic

Answered Jan 20, 2021

Aphanitic is one of the textures of igneous rocks. This texture is used to describe a rock that is grained finely. This rock has single crystals, and they can only be seen by using a microscope. An example of that is a rock that is mainly made of the groundmass.

This type of texture comes about when the magma erupts at the surface of the Earth. When this occurs, it cools too fast and makes it hard for the crystals to grow. This type of texture can also be seen in rocks that are volcanic. Other textures of igneous rocks include Phaneritic, Eutaxitic, and Porphyritic.

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Isabel Mathew

Isabel Mathew

Coding is my forte plus writing and sharing my experiences online is one of my favorite hobbies.

Isabel Mathew
Isabel Mathew, Software engineer, BS(Bachelor of Science), Austin,Texas

Answered Jan 19, 2021

Aphanitic is a narrative term for small crystals and phaneritic for larger ones. They are very coarse crystals which are called pegmatitic. According to whether their constituents can be resolved under the microscope, aphanitic rocks are further labeled as microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline. The hyaline rocks are referred to as glassy or vitric in terms of granularity.

It has an igneous rock texture typified by mineral grains, which are too small to be identified without a petrological microscope. These extremely fine-grained crystalline fabrics are created when magma hardens in response to a very speedy loss of heat and dissolved gases. It contains crystals too fine to be seen through the naked eye.

This texture results from rapid cooling in volcanic or hypabyssal environments. An aphanitic texture is formed when magma is ejected at the earth’s surface, and it cools too quickly for large crystals to grow. These small crystals can be seen only with the assistance of a microscope.

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E. Barnes

E. Barnes

But Can you play this?

E. Barnes
E. Barnes, Professional Gamer, Professional Gamer, Washington

Answered Jan 14, 2021

When you say aphanitic texture, you are referring to small crystals that you will not be able to see with the naked eye. You can also try to look at it with the use of a hand lens and still not see enough. This type of rock comes with a lot of small crystals and they are very small which is why you can barely see them even when you are using different types of lenses.

The texture of this rock would come from the environment to which it is exposed. Most of the time, this will be seen in shallow subsurface environments. A lot of people find it fascinating to see that the rock is mostly made out of rocks when you find an item that you can use to view this properly.

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W. Kaye

W. Kaye

Here to answer and learn

W. Kaye
W. Kaye, Ex-Marine, Post Graduate, Chapel Hill

Answered Jan 12, 2021

Aphanitic texture refers to the texture of an igneous rock made up of fine crystals that can only be seen with the aid of a microscope. The term aphanitic comes from the Greek word aphanēs, which means invisible. Aphanitic is simply a descriptive term for very fine-grained igneous rock.

From the explanation above, the crystals of aphanitic rocks can only be seen by using a microscope. An aphanitic texture is formed when magma cools quickly after its eruption. This sudden cooling of the molten magma does not allow large crystals to form. What usually causes this is when there is a sudden loss of dissolved gases or heat.

Aphanitic texture contains fine crystals that are less than 0.5mm in size. With this, you can also tell of how difficult it will be to determine the crystals of aphanitic rocks with one's eyes. In fact, the crystals of aphanitic rocks cannot be seen if you use a hand lens.

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