Basalt, Massive

LL Demos & Labs: Rock Profile: Basalt

Basalt is the most common of all the volcanic rocks found on earth and is typically formed when hot magma oozes through an opening in the crust. Once outside, the hot lava cools very quickly as it comes into contact with either the air or ocean water. This rapid cooling prevents minerals from growing large enough to form crystals that can be seen without magnification, which explains why your specimen appears to be a single, uniform gray color. These specimens come from the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon..