Harzburgite Blue Ridge Ophiolite, North Carolina From a now inactive extremely slow-moving spreading center. #geology #geoscience #peridotite #harzburgite #olivine #orthopyroxene #mantle #Ophiolite

Is this xenolith an orthopyroxene-bearing troctolite or a plagioclase-bearing olivine websterite? 😭 I'll have to not forgot my loupe again when back in January. Kaʻūpūlehu Flow Field, Hualālai Volcanics, Hualālai, Hawaiʻi #xenolith #mafic #ultramafic #troctolite #websterite #geoscience #geology

Revisiting this Honolulu Volcanics mantle xenolith which has a porphyroclastic texture. Note the bimodal grain size distribution of the olivines with large subhedral porphyroclasts and smaller relatively euhedral neoblasts in the matrix. #xenolith #peridotite #geology ##geoscience #olivine

Dunite xenoliths in picrite, Koʻolau. Due to their high density and low viscosity, picrites are the only tholeiitic melts that can carry ultramafic xenoliths to the surface. In Hawaiʻi, these are usually crustal cumulates of tholeiitic affinity. #xenolith #dunite #geology #geoscience #picrite

Back on Oʻahu and Big Island in late January and super excited to get to (re)visit mantle and crustal xenoliths of the Koʻolau Honolulu Volcanics as well as those of Hualālai, Mauna Kea, and unusual Mauna Loa ultramafic mantle xenoliths hosted by tholeiitic basalt. #xenolith #peridotite #geology

Extrapolating on heavily argillized rhyolites cut by pebble and andesite dikes. Packard Quartz Latite (35.27 ± 0.03 ma) East Tintic Mountains, Utah #geology #geoscience #rhyolite #pebbledikes

Kilbourne Hole peridotite mantle xenolith with area of dark orthopyroxene crystals formed via the rock-melt reaction MG2Si04 + Si02 → 2MgSi03. Part of a complex history involving rock-melt interaction, refertilization, and multiple metasomatic events. #xenolith #peridotite #pyroxene #orthopyroxene

Metasomatism is one of my least favorite things, but at least the classic propylitic alteration mineral assemblage involving chloritization and epidotization yields a rather aesthetic look. (Quartz?) monzonite Silver City Stock (Oligocene) Tintic Mountains,Utah #metasomatism #geology #geoscience

Towards the edge of a possible caldera Twin Peaks Subfield, Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field, Utah #Obsidian #rhyolite #volcanism #geology #geoscience #volcanicglass

Some silica-rich eruptive products of the Twin Peaks Subfield, Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field, Utah #Obsidian #rhyolite #volcanism #geology #geoscience #volcanicglass

Mahogany + snowflake obsidian Twin Peaks Subfield, Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field, Utah #Obsidian #rhyolite #volcanism #geology #geoscience #volcanicglass

Retrograde eclogite imprinted with blueschist facies minerals including phengite (golden flakey mineral), actinolite (black needles), and glaucophane (blue). Franciscan Complex, California #eclogite #blueschist #metamorphism #geology #geoscience #glaucophane #mica #amphibole

Oligocene rhyolite cut by andesite and pebble dikes. Extensive argillization and limonite staining. Initially identified as a quartz latite, the Packard Quartz Latite (35.27 ± 0.03 ma) plots as a subalkaline rhyolite. East Tintic Mountains, Utah #geology #geoscience #rhyolite #pebbledikes

Twinned topaz. Thomas Mountains, Utah #topaz #geology #geoscience #rhyolite #mineral #utah

Topaz Sherry colored freshly collected crystals and one in matrix that has been exposed to the sun. Thomas Mountains, Utah #topaz #geology #geoscience #rhyolite #mineral #utah

So excited to be back here in a week! Topaz Thomas Mountains, Utah #topaz #geology #geoscience #rhyolite #mineral

Spinel lherzolite mantle xenolith hosted by phonotephrite (collected with permission) San Carlos Volcanic Field, San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona #peridotite #xenolith #lherzolite #geology #geoscience #volcano

In things that make me happy, a bit of the collection...Lawsonite blueschist, eclogitic blueschist, glaucophanite, various eclogites, orthopyroxenite, clinopyroxenite, garnet websterite #eclogite #pyroxenite #blueschist #clinopyroxenite #websterite #garnet #metamorphic #geology #geoscience

Olivine is my second fav mineral after pyropic garnet and am super loving this forsteritic olivine ring. Peridotite xenolith in phonotephrite is from the classic location of the San Carlos volcanic field. #olivine #xenolith #peridotite

My hometown in the Koʻolau Caldera. Kailua Member of the Koʻolau Basalt and a dike of (likely) basaltic andesite. Reference location is super close to here. I recieved a grant that will cover next semester (that unfortunately has to be spent at a Utah university) but would rather be back here.

End of a hike over the subaerial Koko Rift from Hanauma to Kaupō. A sweatiest me standing on Kaupō flow (basanite) with Makapuʻu (tholeiitic picrites-basaltic andesite) rising behind. Olivine is the only phenocryst of Kaupō which have some of the highest MgO on the Koko Rift. #geology #geoscience

Widespread Laumontite precipitated in vesicles of the Kailua Member of the Koʻolau Basalt indicate circulating hydrothermal fluids here were around 300° C (Zeolite Facies). Kailua, Koʻolau, Oʻahu #geology #geoscience #zeolite #volcano #hydrothermal #amygdule #metamorphism

Muffins made with ʻŌhelo ʻai (Vaccinium reticulatum,V. peleanum), endemics of east Maui and Hawaiʻi Island and a close relative of the salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) with the largest fruit in the genus, ʻĀkala (Rubus hawaiensis). #botany #plantscience #rubus #vaccinium #plants #baking #hawaii

Spinel peridotite mantle xenolith and accidental fragment of Koʻolau. Basalt (note the plag phenocrysts) hosted in melilite nephelinite tuff. Moanalua vent, Honolulu Volcanics, Koʻolau, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi #geoscience #geology #volcanology #volcano #mantle #xenolith #spinel #peridotite #Hawaii

Makapuʻu-Stage #Koʻolau Basalt has the most radiogenic Sr87/86 of #Hawaiʻi #lavas, low εNd, Hf176/177, and Pb206/204, and high La/Nb and Sr/Nb indicating a filament of recycled material (secondary garnet #pyroxenite via #eclogite) of the Hawaiian ULVZ associated with the Pacific LLSVP. #geology

Blowholes formed via caves eroded into expansive late shield-stage Koʻolau lavas ranging from picrites to basaltic andesite. Makapuʻu-stage Koʻolau Basalt Koʻolau, Oʻahu #blowhole #ocean #hawaii #Basalt #geology

Peridotite mantle xenolith hosted by basanite Nuʻuanu Pali vent (640-600 ka), Honolulu Volcanics, Koʻolau, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Collection of @volcanoesinthesea.bsky.social #peridotite #xenolith #geology #geoscience #volcano

Not a rock or mineral but a me training for #rugby pic....hopefully will translate into the ability to also carry so many mantle and crustal xenoliths.

One of several #basanite lava flows erupted from Kohelepelepe. Here it outcrops on #tuff emplaced via pyroclastic density currents. Kohelepelepe, Koko Rift, Honolulu Volcanics, Koʻolau

Looks like 10 of the samples are from Mahinui in the vicinity of my hometown, almost all are basaltic andesite and geochemically and isotopically very much Makapuʻu-stage 👀

Metamorphic diopside 😍 Alta Stock, Wasatch Mountains, Utah #geoscience #geology #diopside #clinopyroxene #mineral #utah

Day at the Alta Stock contact aureole #Grossular #garnets #Diopside (any idea what the little yellow minerals are? I so want to believe they are either the metamorphic or metasomatic #forsterite that I've been looking for over the last 2 years) #contactmetamorphism #geoscience #geology #altastock

Olivine websterite (?) xenolith A recent study suggests a mantle origin for olivines in cumulate ultramafic xenoliths of Hualālai's Kaʻūpūlehu Flow Field. #geoscience #geology #hualālai #volcanology #volcano #xenolith #xenolith #websterite #pyroxenite

Everything about this is giving accidental fragment of Koʻolau basalt...the olivine texture, matrix, vesicularity...except there appear to also be phenocrysts of augite which are extremely rare for Hawaiian tholeiites and especially for Koʻolau Basalt. 🤔 Kohelepelepe, Honolulu Volcanics

Peridotite and clinopyroxenite mantle xenoliths Moanalua vent, Honolulu Volcanics, Koʻolau, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi #geoscience #geology #dunite #volcanology #volcano #mantle #xenolith #xenocryst #peridotite #Hawaii #pyroxenite

Chromian pyrope garnets eroded from garnet pyroxenite (sensu lato) and/or garnet peridotite mantle xenoliths brought up by minette lamprophyres. Navajo Volcanic Field, Arizona #geology #geoscience #lamprophyre #garnet #pyrope #pyroxenite #eclogite #peridotite

Titaniferous #augite Koko Rift, #Honolulu #Volcanics #Oʻahu, #Hawaiʻi #geoscience #clinopyroxene #mineral #titanaugite #geology

Youngest vents of the Honolulu Volcanics. This part of the Koko Rift is marked by low MgO and higher SiO2, some samples plotting as evolved as hawaiite, reflecting a complex history of multiple magma mixing events and magma storage. #volcanism #volcano #lava #geology #geoscience #hawaii #hawaiʻi

Strange #clinopyroxenite mantle #xenolith hosted by rejuvenation-stage #Kauaʻi Kōloa Volcanics nephelinite(?). Unlike Oʻahu Honolulu Volcanics lavas for which carbonatite metasomatism in their petrogenesis is debatable, evidence is more robust for Kōloa. #pyroxenite #volcano #geology #geoscience

Clinopyroxenite and dunite xenoliths Kolekole Member of the Waiʻanae Volcanics Waiʻanae, Oʻahu #xenolith #clinopyroxenite #pyroxenite #volcano #geology #geoscience #dunite #peridotite

A #basanite lava flow erupted onto #tuff emplaced via pyroclastic density currents when the Kohelepelepe eruptive center erupted phreatomagmatically through reef. A flow outcrop can be seen here. Kohelepelepe, Koko Rift, Honolulu Volcanics, Koʻolau #volcanism #volcano #lava #geology #geoscience

Peridotite (dunite) mantle xenolith and clinopyroxene xenocrysts hosted in melilite nephelinite tuff. Moanalua vent, Honolulu Volcanics, Koʻolau, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi #geoscience #geology #dunite #volcanology #volcano #mantle #xenolith #xenocryst #peridotite #Hawaii #clinopyroxene

Titaniferous #augite with #olivine ingrowths Koko Rift, #Honolulu #Volcanics #Oʻahu, #Hawaiʻi #geoscience #clinopyroxene #mineral #titanaugite #geology

Clinopyroxenite xenolith Kolekole Member of the Waiʻanae Volcanics Waiʻanae, Oʻahu #xenolith #clinopyroxenite #pyroxenite #volcano #geology #geoscience

Sharing about a clinopyroxenite xenolith hosted by Kolekole Member of the Waiʻanae Volcanics basalt at the Hui Pōhaku. An unusual case of ultramafic xenoliths hosted by a tholeiite. #pyroxenite #Hawaiʻi #waiʻanae #gelology #xenolith #geoscience

An oversimplified explanation of the petrogenesis of the Makapuʻu-stage of the Koʻolau Basalt

Selenite (CaSO4·2H2O) Koʻolau, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi #selenite #gypsum #geology #geoscience #Hawaii

Melilite nephelinite was erupted at Pali Kilo and Kūʻau rejuvenation vents, they are geochemically extremely similar and both flows were initially considered the same flow. These here look quite picritic. Mōkapu vents of the Honolulu Volcanics. #geoscience #geology #picrite #olivine

Rare composite #peridotite - #pyroxenite xenolith may have formed via opx assimilation and most likely not one-time suggested kimberlitic veining underneath Oʻahu...which shouldn't even be possible with oceanic lithosphere. Āliamanu, Honolulu Volcanics, Oʻahu. #geoscience #geology #xenolith

Gorgeous spinel peridotite mantle xenolith hosted in melilite nephelinite tuff. Xenoliths from these vents encompass all the metamorphic textures. Moanalua vent, Honolulu Volcanics, Koʻolau, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi #geoscience #geology #volcanology #volcano #mantle #xenolith #spinel #peridotite #Hawaii