KOMATIITE


Komatiite is a very rare ultramafic extrusive igneous rock, only formed from extremely hot magma. These hot lava flows may rapidly cool, resulting in a characteristic "spinifex" texture of komatiite.


The source lava is so hot that the lava is thin, almost watery in consistency. Conditions for the formation of this lava only existed when the Earth was much younger and hotter, so komatiite formations are at least two billion years old.

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