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Ophiolites
Author(s) -
MASON ROGER
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
geology today
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.188
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1365-2451
pISSN - 0266-6979
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2451.1985.tb00315.x
Subject(s) - ophiolite , geology , oceanic crust , basalt , igneous rock , mantle (geology) , geochemistry , ridge , mid ocean ridge , metamorphic rock , crust , paleontology , subduction , tectonics
An ophiolite is an association of igneous and metamorphic rocks, including basalts, dolerites, gabbros and peridotites, which may be a fragment of crust and mantle formed by spreading at a ridge beneath an ancient ocean. This remarkable conclusion is supported by many features of the structure, field relationships, petrology and geochemistry of ophiolites. Although recent research has led to a degree of disillusionment with the idea that ophiolites are fragments of typical ocean floor, these rocks have a good deal to tell us about processes of ocean floor construction and mountain building.