Basalt contains more iron and magnesium rich minerals than does granite, hence they are dencer and dark in color. Since both granite and basalt form from the cooling of magma, explain why basalt has a darker color and finer texture?
Basalt contains more iron and magnesium rich minerals than does granite, hence they are dencer and dark in color. Since both granite and basalt form from the cooling of magma, explain why basalt has a darker color and finer texture?
The properties of rocks depend on the composition and cooling rate of the magma from which it solidified. The composition of the magma can be mafic or felsic. Mafic minerals are denser and heavier than the felsic minerals. The mafic minerals are also darker in colour than the felsic minerals.
The rate of crystallization determines the grain size of the minerals. Rapid crystallization produces smaller grain sizes, whereas, slower crystallization produces bigger grains sizes. The rate of crystallization is a function of the depth at which the magma is solidified. The magma cools more slowly at greater depths, thereby forming bigger grains and a coarse texture, while at shallower depths, the magma cools down rapidly to form smaller grains, leading to a finer texture.
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