Picrite
“Olivine-loaded volcanic lava”
Picrite is a dark, olivine-rich volcanic rock that erupts from deep mantle-sourced magmas at unusually high temperatures. It contains significantly more magnesium than typical basalt and is associated with mantle plume volcanism, including the massive flood basalt events that have repeatedly reshaped Earth's surface.
olivine (abundant), clinopyroxene, plagioclase, chromite, volcanic glass
Baffin Island (Canada), West Greenland, Curaçao, Iceland, Hawaiian Islands (picritic lavas)
5.5-6.5
Picritic lavas from Baffin Island are thought to have erupted at over 1,600°C from a source near Earth's core-mantle boundary — they may sample material unchanged since the planet formed.
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What does the eruption of picritic lava indicate about the depth of its mantle source?
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