When did Georgius Agricola publish the earliest description of basalt?
Georgius Agricola published a work titled De Natura Fossilium in 1546 containing one of the earliest descriptions of basalt as a specific type of lava-derived rock.
Questions about Igneous rock
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What temperature does peridotite melt at when excess water is present at 100 kilometres depth?
Peridotite begins to melt near 800 degrees Celsius at a depth of about 100 kilometres when excess water is present without that water requiring temperatures near or above 1,500 degrees Celsius to melt.
How many recommended rock names were reduced to by 1989 after the IUGG Subcommission agreement?
By 1989 a single system had been agreed upon and revised again in 2005 reducing the number of recommended rock names to 316 for igneous rocks.
What percentage of silica do felsic rocks contain compared to mafic rocks?
Felsic rocks contain the highest silica content often exceeding 63 percent while mafic rocks have lower silica levels ranging from 45 to 52 percent.
Who introduced the term rhyolite and in what year did Ferdinand von Richthofen introduce it?
Ferdinand von Richthofen introduced the term rhyolite in 1860 during an acceleration of naming new rock types that peaked in the early 20th century.