TERMIUM Plus®

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GROUNDMASS [1 record]

Record 1 2012-03-07

English

Subject field(s)
  • Petrography
DEF

The finer-grained material of igneous rocks in which larger crystals (phenocrysts) and xenoliths are enclosed.

CONT

Kimberlites ... have a distinctive inequigranular texture due to the presence of large rounded, anhedral macrocrysts (i.e., megacrysts and xenocrysts) plus euhedral to subhedral phenocrysts set in a finer grained groundmass.

OBS

In igneous rocks the groundmass is equivalent to the matrix.

OBS

The term "matrix", although commonly used of igneous rocks, is more specifically applied to sedimentary rocks.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Pétrographie
CONT

[...] la coexistence de grands cristaux (phénocristaux) avec un fond, appelé pâte, fait de cristaux bien plus petits ou de verre, caractérise la variété de texture dite porphyrique [...]

CONT

Les kimberlites [...] présentent une texture hétérogranulaire distinctive attribuable à la présence de gros macrocristaux (mégacristaux et xénocristaux) automorphes de forme arrondie ainsi que de phénocristaux automorphes et subautomorphes qui sont répartis dans une matrice à grain plus fin.

Spanish

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