Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Quartz vs. Asagiite
It's a classic vs a newbie as the most common named mineral in the crust Quartz is up against an exceedingly-rare sea foam-green mineral discovered just a few years ago Asagiite.
Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic TimeExplore Fossils
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryMineral Visual ExplorerAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral QuizTime Machine
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorPhoto Colour ExplorerNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Ophitic dolerite

A rock subtype
This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
Ophitic dolerite is a dark, fine-grained igneous rock (also called diabase) characterized by its ophitic texture, where lath-shaped plagioclase feldspar crystals are completely enclosed by larger, blocky crystals of pyroxene (like augite). This common texture in dolerite forms from basaltic magma cooling relatively quickly, resulting in plagioclase crystallizing first as small laths, followed by pyroxene growing around them, creating a distinctive "snake-like" (ophitic) appearance in thin sections.


Hide all sections | Show all sections

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
498926
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:498926:0

Classification of Ophitic doleriteHide

Sub-divisions of Ophitic doleriteHide

Mineralogy of Ophitic doleriteHide

Essential minerals - these are minerals that are required within the classification of this rock:
Feldspar > Plagioclase(Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8
PyroxeneADSi2O6

Internet Links for Ophitic doleriteHide

References for Ophitic doleriteHide

Reference List:
Quick NavTopUnique IdentifiersClassification Sub-divisions Mineralogy Internet Links References
 
and/or  
Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: September 6, 2026 05:11:45 Page updated: December 31, 2025 03:43:52
Go to top of page