Aphanitic
Definition
Pertaining to or having the characteristics of an aphanite; a term used to describe the texture of igneous rocks whose crystalline components are of microscopic or submicroscopic dimensions, making them indistinguishable to the naked eye. This extremely fine structural arrangement indicates a rapid solidification of magma or lava at or near the Earth's surface, a process that prevented the growth of large crystals.
Bilingual Equivalents
- Aphanitic
- Fine-grained
Grammatical & Source Details
| Inflection Type | Variable adjective inflecting systematically across standard gender and plural boundaries. |
| Formation | Derived from French 'aphanitique', rooted in the geological noun 'aphanite' combined with the relational adjectival suffix '-ic'. |
| Spelling / Pronunciation | /ˌæfəˈnɪtɪk/ |
| Source | Glossary of Geology and Petrological Nomenclature Structures |
Contextual Usage Examples
RO: Profesorul a prezentat o mostră de bazalt cu un aspect afanitic omogen, recoltată din platoul vulcanic.
EN: The professor presented a basalt sample with a homogeneous aphanitic appearance, collected from the volcanic plateau.
RO: Răcirea bruscă a lavei cimentate sub apă a generat o structură sticloasă sau fin afanitică.
EN: The sudden cooling of lava cemented underwater generated a glassy or finely aphanitic structure.
RO: Studiul petrografic a confirmat că această rocă este afanitică, cristalele fiind vizibile doar sub lentila microscopului.
EN: The petrographic study confirmed that this rock is aphanitic, the crystals being visible only under the microscope lens.
Idioms & Phrases
Textură afanitică / Aphanitic texture
RO: Configurație minerală structurală fină în care cristalele individuale nu pot fi detectate fără un aparat de magnificare optic.
EN: A fine structural mineral configuration where individual crystals cannot be detected without an optical magnification device.
Rocă afanitică / Aphanitic rock
RO: Tip de rocă magmatică efuzivă (precum riolitul sau andezitul) caracterizată printr-o masă fundamentală densă și microcristalină.
EN: A type of effusive igneous rock (such as rhyolite or andesite) characterized by a dense and microcrystalline groundmass.
Masă de bază afanitică / Aphanitic groundmass
RO: Matricea microscopică compactă dintr-o rocă porfiritică, în care sunt înglobate fenocristalele mai mari.
EN: The compact microscopic matrix within a porphyritic rock, in which larger phenocrysts are embedded.
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