Lithophysa
Encyclopedia
A lithophysa is a small cavity found in felsic
volcanic rocks
believed to be caused by expanding gases in tuff
s before solidification. If it has become lined with crystal
s it may be referred to as a geode
or a thunderegg
. The word lithophysae is from the Latin
for rock bubble. The term vug
is also used for similar cavities although vug is usually restricted to mean cavities in rocks formed by the removal of material such as soluble minerals.
Felsic
The word "felsic" is a term used in geology to refer to silicate minerals, magma, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, aluminium, sodium, and potassium....
volcanic rocks
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
believed to be caused by expanding gases in tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
s before solidification. If it has become lined with crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
s it may be referred to as a geode
Geode
Geodes are geological secondary sedimentary structures which occur in sedimentary and certain volcanic rocks. Geodes are essentially spherical masses of mineral matter that were deposited sygenetically within the rock formations they are found in. Geodes have a Chalcedony shell containing...
or a thunderegg
Thunderegg
A thunderegg is a nodule-like geological structure, similar to a geode, that is formed within a rhyolitic lava flow.-Appearance and composition:...
. The word lithophysae is from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for rock bubble. The term vug
Vug
Vugs are small to medium-sized cavities inside rock that may be formed through a variety of processes. Most commonly cracks and fissures opened by tectonic activity are partially filled by quartz, calcite, and other secondary minerals. Open spaces within ancient collapse breccias are another...
is also used for similar cavities although vug is usually restricted to mean cavities in rocks formed by the removal of material such as soluble minerals.