Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A fine-grained extrusive volcanic rock, similar to granite in composition and usually exhibiting flow lines.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The name given by Richthofen to certain rocks occurring in Hungary which resemble trachyte, but are distinguished from it by the presence of quartz as an essential ingredient, and also by a great variety of texture, showing more distinctly than rocks usually do that the material had flowed while in a viscous state.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Min.) A quartzose trachyte, an igneous rock often showing a fluidal structure.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun geology An igneous, volcanic (extrusive) rock, of felsic composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun very acid volcanic rock

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Greek rhuāx, stream (from rhein, to flow; see sreu- in Indo-European roots) + –lite.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Coined by Ferdinand von Richthofen as German Rhyolith, from Ancient Greek ῥέω (rheō, "flow") + -lith (modified to -lite).

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Examples

  • The first is that, in addition to the basaltic magma associated with mid-ocean ridges, Iceland's volcanoes produce significant amounts of rhyolite, which is silica-rich and, more significantly, contains a lot more volatile substances.

    Ars Technica John Timmer 2010

  • The first is that, in addition to the basaltic magma associated with mid-ocean ridges, Iceland's volcanoes produce significant amounts of rhyolite, which is silica-rich and, more significantly, contains a lot more volatile substances.

    Ars Technica John Timmer 2010

  • Left long enough, this magma erupts as a substance known as rhyolite - a very pale yellow or grey rock which is responsible for the beautiful colours in Landmannalaugar and Yellowstone in the US.

    The Iceland Weather Report alda 2010

  • Field work has been focused to define a drilling program to test the gold mineralization present in a silicified dacite dike (previously classified as a rhyolite dike), which outcrops extensively on the concessions.

    Marketwire - Breaking News Releases 2010

  • Left long enough, this magma erupts as a substance known as rhyolite - a very pale yellow or grey rock which is responsible for the beautiful colours in Landmannalaugar and Yellowstone in the US.

    The Iceland Weather Report alda 2010

  • Planting directly into more silicic ash such as rhyolite is however more problematic, due to nutrient issues such as nitrogen and calcium deficiency (Neild and others, 1998).

    Volcanic Ash—Effects on Agriculture and Mitigation Strategies 2009

  • Planting directly into more silicic ash such as rhyolite is however more problematic, due to nutrient issues such as nitrogen and calcium deficiency (Neild and others,

    Volcanic Ash—Effects on Agriculture and Mitigation Strategies 2009

  • The National Geographic theory is summarized by Tony Burton and visualizes the balls forming by crystallization of hot ash around nuclei of lava fragments, producing boulders of rhyolite.

    Las Piedras Bola: the great stone balls of Ahualulco 2009

  • The reason I wanted to see this beach is because the book said that if, conditions were right, the sound of the waves hitting this unique shoreline of flat, shingle-like “pink rhyolite and felsite bedrock” makes a tinkling, bell-like sound.

    Day in the Life of an Idiot lyda222 2010

  • The National Geographic theory is summarized by Tony Burton and visualizes the balls forming by crystallization of hot ash around nuclei of lava fragments, producing boulders of rhyolite.

    Las Piedras Bola: the great stone balls of Ahualulco 2009

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