Aphyric
Definition
A specialized geological term used to describe an igneous or volcanic rock with an extremely fine-grained, microcrystalline, or glassy texture, completely lacking phenocrysts. Aphyric rocks form through the rapid cooling of lava at the Earth's surface.
Bilingual Equivalents
- Aphyric
- Non-porphyritic
Grammatical & Source Details
| Inflection Type | Variable adjective with standard masculine, feminine, and plural inflectional modifications in geological literature. |
| Formation | Neologistic international scientific loanword from English 'aphyric', built with the Greek privative prefix 'a-'. |
| Spelling / Pronunciation | [a.ˈfi.rik] |
| Source | Glossary of Petrographic Textures and Igneous Material Classifications |
Contextual Usage Examples
RO: Geologul a identificat un strat de bazalt afiric pe versantul vulcanului stins, confirmând o erupție de suprafață.
EN: The geologist identified a layer of aphyric basalt on the slope of the extinct volcano, confirming a surface eruption.
RO: Această rocă afirică are o matrice vitroasă uniformă, fără nicio incluziune minerală macroscopică.
EN: This aphyric rock has a uniform glassy matrix, without any macroscopic mineral inclusion.
RO: Analiza microscopică a arătat că eșantionul colectat este pur afiric, având o granulație foarte fină.
EN: The microscopic analysis showed that the collected sample is purely aphyric, having a very fine grain size.
Idioms & Phrases
Bazalt afiric / Aphyric basalt
RO: Rocă vulcanică de culoare închisă, densă și omogenă, formată prin solidificarea rapidă a lavei bazaltice fără cristale mari.
EN: A dark, dense, and homogeneous volcanic rock formed by the rapid solidification of basaltic lava without large crystals.
Textură afirică / Aphyric texture / non-porphyritic matrix
RO: Aspect microscopic omogen al unei roci magmatice caracterizat prin uniformitatea deplină a masei de bază.
EN: A homogeneous microscopic appearance of an igneous rock characterized by the full uniformity of the groundmass.
Andezit afiric / Aphyric andesite
RO: Varietate de andezit cu granulație extrem de fină, folosit ca indicator geologic pentru curgerile de lavă subțiri.
EN: An extremely fine-grained variety of andesite, used as a geological indicator for thin lava flows.
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