granite: Quick Facts

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Glacial erratic perched on low pedestal of massive granite, Tulare county, Calif.

granite: photomicrograph

Whaleback outcroppings of Precambrian granite of the basement complex in the Matopo Hills, southwestern Zimbabwe.

Figure 42: Granitic rock consisting of reddish orange feldspar, nearly white quartz, and green epidote that appears to have been introduced into an original quartz-feldspar granite. This rock, sometimes called unakite, is used widely in jewelry.

Learn about the use of gamma-ray spectroscopy to identify the quarry that was the source of granite found in ancient Roman ruins

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Topics

rapakivi S-type granite I-type granite greisen aplite granophyre felsic and mafic rocks intrusive rock rhyolite diabase gabbro anorthosite nepheline syenite peridotite picrite lamprophyre syenite dacite

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Precambrian: Greenstones and granites

Key People

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Hans Cloos

German geologist

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Herbert Harold Read

British geologist

Basalt sample returned by Apollo 15, from near a long sinous lunar valley called Hadley Rille. Measured at 3.3 years old.

(Bed) Rocks and (Flint) Stones

Cross section of Earth showing the core, mantle, and crust

The Solid Earth Quiz