Why Does Basalt Have Smaller Crystals Than Granite

The difference is the texture.

Why does basalt have smaller crystals than granite.

Cools more slowly and crystals are bigger which means they are coarse grained. This slow cooling gives time for crystals to grow making it more coarsely grained than an extrusive rock. Crystals have more time to grow to larger size. Why does rhyolite have smaller crystals than granite.

Fossils are only found in. Among other differences the nature of these rocks reveals that basalt is basic in nature whereas granite is acidic in nature. Granite is an intrusive rock that is formed when magma cools inside the crust. You may use your identification charts rhyolite cooled quicker than granite.

Basalt cooled quickly and is therefore fine grained to even glassy with or without phenocrysts individual large crystals. These extrusive rocks are formed from magma at or above the surface of the planet and generally display smaller mineral crystals or. Gabbro cooled slowly and is entirely composed of large larger crystals without any glassy or very fine grained rock material. If magma cools quickly for example when basalt lava erupts from a volcano then many crystals form very quickly and the resulting rock is fine grained with crystals usually less than 1mm in size.

This coarse grain makes granite a favorite of rock climbers. Basalt forms when magma cools and solidifies on the surface of the earth. Yes because granite is a slow cooling rock therefore the crystals have a lot of time to form while basalt is a fast cooling rock therefore thecrystals don t have much time to form and develop. They cools so fast and that s why they have small crystals than granite.

Basalt on the other hand has a smooth texture from rapid cooling usually by water. Basalt scoria andesitic diorite andesite granitic granite rhyolite pumice obsidian. Under the ground so they cools slow and that s why they have large crystals.