xenoliths
Embedded alien stones
Xenoliths are fragments of rock that become embedded in a different type of rock.
The term comes from Greek words meaning "foreign stones." When magma rises through the earth's crust, it can pick up pieces of surrounding rock that don't melt completely, preserving them like geological hitchhikers: The granite contained dark xenoliths of older basement rock.
Geologists study xenoliths for clues about deep earth composition.
Covering or wrap
- kimberliteDiamond's host stone
- country rockRural-electric musical fusion
- crustHard outer layer
- magmaMolten rock underground
eruption · volcanic · tectonics · subduction · asthenosphere · deep earth · uplift · emplacement
Subterranean cooled magma body
- intrusionUnauthorized entry into space
- magmaticConcerning molten rock
- igneousFormed from cooled magma
- enclaveSurrounded distinct territory
batholith · dike · sill · melt · crystallization · assimilation · inclusion · cognate
Green igneous rock mineral
- garnetRed semiprecious stone
- pyroxeneRock-forming silicate group
- amphiboleDark inosilicate mineral group
- silicateOxygen-bound crystal compound
amphibolite · spinel · mica · crystal · cumulate · refractory
Searching for gem deposits
- pressureForce upon contact
- temperatureMeasured heat intensity
- geochemistryEarth's chemical makeup science
- isotopeElemental variant by mass
trace element · survival · fragment · specimen · fieldwork
mantle
Covering or wrap
- kimberliteDiamond's host stone
- country rockRural-electric musical fusion
- crustHard outer layer
magma · eruption · volcanic · tectonics · subduction · asthenosphere · deep earth · uplift · emplacement · entrainment
pluton
Subterranean cooled magma body
enclave · batholith · dike · sill · melt · crystallization · assimilation · inclusion · cognate · accidental
olivine
Green igneous rock mineral
- garnetRed semiprecious stone
- pyroxeneRock-forming silicate group
- amphiboleDark inosilicate mineral group
silicate · amphibolite · spinel · mica · crystal · cumulate · refractory
diamond exploration
Searching for gem deposits
- pressureForce upon contact
- temperatureMeasured heat intensity
- geochemistryEarth's chemical makeup science
isotope · trace element · survival · fragment · specimen · fieldwork