BASALT - Isle of Mull, Scotland
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Isle of Mull, Scotland
The mountains of the south of the Isle of Mull are the roots of a huge volcano that erupted 60 million years ago. It is part of the Hebridean Igneous Province which is associated with the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Before this time, north-western Europe, Greenland and North America were all part of one huge continent.
Isle of Mull, Scotland
The mountains of the south of the Isle of Mull are the roots of a huge volcano that erupted 60 million years ago. It is part of the Hebridean Igneous Province which is associated with the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Before this time, north-western Europe, Greenland and North America were all part of one huge continent.
The slow cooling of magma deep beneath the Earth's surface formed a coarsely crystalline igneous rock called gabbro. As this magma erupted at the surface, vast quantities of lava were produced which cooled to form fine-grained basalt. Basalt lava flows form the bedrock of a large part of the island.
This specimen is a picrite basalt which is rich in the mineral olivine. It was formerly part of a university collection.
Click on a picture for a larger image
Size: 9 x 8 x 6 centimetres
Weight: 389 grams
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