Felsic rock in the context of Grammatical modifier


Felsic rock in the context of Grammatical modifier

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⭐ Core Definition: Felsic rock

In geology, felsic is a modifier describing igneous rocks that are relatively rich in elements that form feldspar and quartz. It is contrasted with mafic rocks, which are richer in magnesium and iron. Felsic refers to silicate minerals, magma, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, aluminium, sodium, and potassium. Molten felsic magma and lava is more viscous than molten mafic magma and lava. Felsic magmas and lavas have lower temperatures of melting and solidification than mafic magmas and lavas.

Felsic rocks are usually light in color and have specific gravities less than 3. The most common felsic rock is granite. Common felsic minerals include quartz, muscovite, orthoclase, and the sodium-rich plagioclase feldspars (albite-rich).

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Felsic rock in the context of Conrad discontinuity

The Conrad discontinuity corresponds to the sub-horizontal boundary in the continental crust at which the seismic wave velocity increases in a discontinuous way. This boundary is observed in various continental regions at a depth of 15 to 20  km, but it is not found in oceanic regions.

The Conrad discontinuity (named after the seismologist Victor Conrad) is considered to be the border between the upper continental (sial, for silica-aluminium) crust and the lower one (sima, for silica-magnesium). It is not as pronounced as the Mohorovičić discontinuity and absent in some continental regions. Up to the middle 20th century, the upper crust in continental regions was seen to consist of felsic rocks such as granite (sial), and the lower one to consist of more magnesium-rich mafic rocks like basalt (sima). Therefore, the seismologists of that time considered that the Conrad discontinuity should correspond to a sharply defined contact between the chemically distinct two layers, sial and sima. Despite the fact that sial and sima are two solid layers, the lighter sial is thought to "float" on top of the denser sima layer. This forms the basis of Alfred Wegener's 'Continental Drift Theory.' The area of contact during the movement of the Continental plates is on the Conrad discontinuity.

View the full Wikipedia page for Conrad discontinuity
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