melaphyre

[ mel-uh-fahyuhr ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Petrology.

melaphyre

/ ˈmɛləˌfaɪə /

C19: via French from Greek melas black + ( por ) phura purple

In China, at the close of the period, there were enormous eruptions of melaphyre, porphyrite and quartz-porphyry.

Melaphyre is a name given to the very dark varieties of altered augitic lavas, rich in magnetite and chlorite.

The rocks consist chiefly of basalt, dolerite, melaphyre and felstone.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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