Scoria Scoria

Scoria - Definition and Overview

Related Words: Alluvium, Ash, Ashes, Basalt, Bedrock, Brand, Breccia, Calx, Carbon, Charcoal, Cinder, Clinker, Coal, Coke, Conglomerate, Crag, Deposition, Deposits, Dross
Scoria
Enlarge
Scoria

Scoria is a term used by geologists to describe an igneous rock containing many gas bubbles, or vesicules.

Scoria forms when magma rich in dissolved gases is vented. As the magma encounters lower pressures, the gasses are able to escape and form bubbles. These bubbles are trapped when the magma cools and solidifies.

Volcanic cones of scoria can be left behind after eruptions, usually forming mountains with a crater at the summit. An example is Mount Wellington, Auckland in New Zealand.

See also

Copyright 2009 WordIQ.com - Privacy Policy  :: Terms of Use  :: Contact Us  :: About Us
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the this Wikipedia article.