[meteorite-list] Dolerite and Diabase

From: Bernd Pauli HD <bernd.pauli_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:54:10 2004
Message-ID: <3C7A89A1.4A10EE1B_at_lehrer1.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>

Jeff Grossman wrote::

> "The main part of the native iron in the rocks of the Hammers Dal Complex
> is roughly divided into two major types: iron which forms cumulates in the
> marginal dolerite [diabase] and iron spherules in the intermediate rock
> characterized by columnar jointing.

Hello All!

For those who are not so overly geologically-minded, I'd like to explain
why Jeff or the author enclosed "diabase" between square brackets: The
term dolerite is mainly used in Great Britain whereas the term diabase
is chiefly American English. A dolerite is a dyke rock formed from a
basaltic magma.

Reference:

MacKENZIE W.S. and ADAMS A.E. (1995, 1996, 2000) A Color Atlas
of Rocks and Minerals in Thin Section (John Wiley & Sons, New York-
Toronto, 192 pp.).


Best wishes,

Bernd
Received on Mon 25 Feb 2002 01:59:45 PM PST