What is a felsic composition?
Felsic refers to silicate minerals, magma, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, aluminium, sodium, and potassium. Felsic magma or lava is higher in viscosity than mafic magma/lava.
What is felsic and what is its composition?
Composition of Felsic Rocks Feldspar, one of the key components of felsic rock, which is the name for a group of aluminum silicate minerals containing the light metallic elements potassium, sodium, or calcium. The word ‘feldspar’ comes from German words meaning ‘field rock.
Which rock is of felsic composition?
granite
Igneous Rocks: textures and compositions
| Felsic | Mafic | |
|---|---|---|
| Coarse- grained | granite | gabbro |
| Fine- grained | rhyolite | basalt |
| Minerals | quartz, K-feldspar, amphibole, muscovite, biotite | olivine, pyroxene, Ca-feldspar (plagioclase) |
What is mafic composition?
A mafic mineral or rock is a silicate mineral or igneous rock rich in magnesium and iron. Chemically, mafic rocks are enriched in iron, magnesium and calcium and typically dark in color. In contrast, the felsic rocks are typically light in color and enriched in aluminium and silicon along with potassium and sodium.
What are felsic and mafic minerals?
In a widely accepted silica-content classification scheme, rocks with more than 65 percent silica are called felsic; those with between 55 and 65 percent silica are intermediate; those with between 45 and 55 percent silica are mafic; and those with less than 45 percent are ultramafic.
What are the features of felsic minerals?
Felsic minerals are usually light in color and have specific gravities less than 3.0. Common felsic minerals include quartz, muscovite mica, and the orthoclase feldspars. The most common felsic rock is granite, which represents the purified end product of the earth’s internal differentiation process.
What is felsic and mafic?
What is the difference between the composition of felsic and mafic igneous rocks?
The difference between Mafic and Felsic rocks are the silica content present. Since igneous rocks are characterised by silica content in them, mafic is the one with less silica content (approx. 45-55%) while felsic is the one with a greater silica content (approx. 70-90%).
What is the composition of metamorphic rocks?
These start out originally with clay minerals and as a result of metamorphism, Alumina rich minerals like micas, chlorite, garnet, kyanite, sillimanite and andalusite form. Because of the abundance of sheet silicates, pelitic rocks commonly form slates, phyllites, schists, and gneisses during metamorphism.
What is the difference between mafic and felsic minerals?
Mafic minerals are usually dark in color and have relatively high specific gravities (greater than 3.0). Felsic minerals are usually light in color and have specific gravities less than 3.0. Common felsic minerals include quartz, muscovite mica, and the orthoclase feldspars.
What is the difference between the composition of felsic and mafic rocks?
Mafic vs Felsic The difference between Mafic and Felsic rocks are the silica content present. Since igneous rocks are characterised by silica content in them, mafic is the one with less silica content (approx. 45-55%) while felsic is the one with a greater silica content (approx. 70-90%).
What is difference between mafic and felsic?
What is felsic used to describe?
In geology, felsic refers to igneous rocks that are relatively rich in elements that form feldspar and quartz. It is contrasted with mafic rocks, which are relatively richer in magnesium and iron.
What does felsic mean?
in: Felsic. Felsic is a term that refers to silicate minerals, magmas, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as silica, oxygen, aluminum, sodium, and potassium. The term combines the words “feldspar” and “silica.”.
Is felsic denser than mafic?
Chemically, mafic rocks are enriched in iron, magnesium and calcium and typically dark in color. In contrast, the felsic rocks are typically light in color and enriched in aluminium and silicon along with potassium and sodium. The mafic rocks also typically have a higher density than felsic rocks.
Does felsic have high viscosity?
Most felsic lavas have high viscosity. It has a higher composition of silica, aluminum, potassium, sodium, and calcium. The temperatures are around 650°C to 750°C. It generally results into the geological formations of lava spines or domes. Felsic magma, on cooling, forms feldspar and quartz.