Amygdule in the context of "Zeolite"

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⭐ Core Definition: Amygdule

Amygdules or amygdales (/əˈmɪɡdjlz, -dlz/) form when the vesicles (pores from gas bubbles in lava) of a volcanic rock or other extrusive igneous rock are infilled with a secondary mineral, such as calcite, quartz, chlorite, or one of the zeolites. Amygdules usually form after the rock has been emplaced, and are often associated with low-temperature alteration. Amygdules may often be concentrically zoned. Rocks containing amygdules can be described as amygdaloidal.

The word is derived from the Latin word amygdala, meaning "almond tree", and the Greek word αμυγδαλή, meaning "almond" – reflecting the typical shape of an infilled vesicle. Amygdule is more common in American usage, while amygdale is more common in British usage.

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Amygdule in the context of Vesicular texture

Vesicular texture is a volcanic rock texture characterized by a rock being pitted with many cavities (known as vesicles) at its surface and inside. This texture is common in aphanitic, or glassy, igneous rocks that have come to the surface of the Earth, a process known as extrusion. As magma rises to the surface the pressure on it decreases. When this happens gasses dissolved in the magma are able to come out of solution, forming gas bubbles (the cavities) inside it. When the magma finally reaches the surface as lava and cools, the rock solidifies around the gas bubbles and traps them inside, preserving them as holes filled with gas called vesicles.

A related texture is amygdaloidal in which the volcanic rock, usually basalt or andesite, has cavities, or vesicles, that are filled with secondary minerals, such as zeolites, calcite, quartz, or chalcedony. Individual cavity fillings are termed amygdules (American usage) or amygdales (British usage). Sometimes these can be sources of semi-precious or precious stones such as diamonds.

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