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.

Latest News

Word of the Week – DAS

Word of the Week – DAS

DAS Distributed Acoustic Sensor. Involves the deployment of fiber optic cable on the surface or in a well, and the detection of small variations in the refractive index of the fiber based...

read more
Word of the Week – DFIT

Word of the Week – DFIT

DFIT Diagnostic Fracture Injection Test. A subsurface well test in which pressure is monitored as a small volume of fluid is injected into a reservoir to develop a hydraulic fracture....

read more
Word of the Week – Diorite

Word of the Week – Diorite

Diorite Dark colored, coarse grained, intrusive rock that contains less silica than granite and that is mostly made of plagioclase, biotite, hornblende, pyroxene, and minor to nil quartz.

read more

Utah FORGE

Advancing innovative technologies to unlock Earth’s limitless geothermal energy.