Basalt grey fine grained volcanic rock

Basalt

Dark grey fine grained volcanic rock composed of plagioclase, pyroxene and olivine, with relatively low silica (45-52 wt %). The composition reflects an upper mantle origin. Basalt is the most common type of volcanic rock on Earth, and it erupts from mid-ocean spreading ridges and hot spots (e.g., Hawaii and Iceland). The intrusive coarsely crystalline igneous rock equivalent is called gabbro.

Geothermal Glossary

Word of the Week – Spudding In

Word of the Week – Spudding In

Spudding In Denotes the start of the well. The term originated from cable tool drilling where spudding is the act of hoisting the drill pipe and letting it fall freely so that the drill bit strikes the bottom of the well bore with sufficient force to break the...

Word of the Week – Stable Isotopes

Word of the Week – Stable Isotopes

Stable Isotopes Refers to non-radioactive isotopes of elements, including those of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen. In geothermal geochemistry, the stable isotope ratios of oxygen (18O/16O) and hydrogen (2H/1H) in thermal waters are used to trace its...

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