KOMATIITE

KOMATIITE

Komatiite

is an very rare ultramafic extrusive igneous rock, only formed from very hot magma. These hot lava flows may rapidly cool, resulting in a characteristic "spinifex" texture of komattite.

The source lava is so hot that the lava is thin, almost watery in consistency. Conditions for the formation of this lava only existed when the Earth was much younger and hotter, so komatiite formations are at least two billion years old.

ROCKS

IGNEOUS

ANDESITE

ANORTHOSITE

BASALT

CARBONATITE

DACITE

DIORITE

DUNITE

GABBRO

GRANITE

KIMBERLITE

KOMATIITE

LAMPROPHYRES

MONZONITE

OBSIDIAN

PEGMATITE

PERIDOTITE

PUMICE

PYROXENITE

RHYOLITE

SCORIA

SYENITE

METAMORPHIC

GNEISS

MARBLE

QUARTZITE

PHYLLITE

SCHIST

SERPENTINITE

SLATE

SOAPSTONE

SEDIMENTARY

ANHYDRITE

BANDED IRON FORMATION

BRECCIA

CHALK

CHERT

COAL

CONGLOMERATE

COQUINA

DOLOMITE

GYPSUM

HALITE

LIMESTONE

MUDSTONE

PHOSPHORITE

SANDSTONE

SHALE

SILTSTONE

TILLITE

UNCONSOLIDATED SEDIMENTS

ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS

LAHARS

MORAINES

PEAT

SANDS

SOILS

TEPHRA

TILLS

ORES

MINING TALUS PILES