oceanite Petrogr.
(ˈəʊʃiːənaɪt)
[ad. F. océanite (A. Lacroix Minéral. de Madagascar (1923) III. iii. 49), f. océan ocean n. (a.), from the abundance of the rock on islands in the Pacific + -ite -ite1.]
Any of various basalts which are very rich in olivine.
| [1923 Mineral. Abstr. II. 146 New rock-names are doréite, kivite, and océanite.] 1926 G. W. Tyrrell Princ. Petrol. vi. 131 (caption) Oceanite (ultrabasic olivine-rich ‘basalt’). 1967 Hess & Poldervaart Basalts I. 201 An increase in olivine and clinopyroxene in the alkali basalts (at the expense of plagioclase) leads to the development of melanocratic lavas (alkaline picrite⁓basalts, ‘oceanites’, and ankaramites). 1971 Nature 8 Oct. 406/2 The area includes both aa and pahoehoe lava flows which are olivine basalt, basalt, or oceanite in composition. |