hyaloclast

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English

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Etymology

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From hyalo- +‎ clast.

Noun

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hyaloclast (plural hyaloclasts)

  1. (geology) A volcanic glass fragment formed by hot lava rapidly cooling when it encounters water or ice, causing it to shatter into small, glassy pieces.
    • 1974, Acta Geologica, volume 18, page 388:
      Hyaloclasts occur partly between the individual lava flows, partly in the vents penetrating the volcanic formations.
    • 1987, Brian J. Taylor, N. F. Exon, Marine Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry of the Woodlark Basin-Solomon Islands (page 300)
      Suite IV represents sediment gravity flow deposits near a deep submarine vent, whereas Suite V represents a mixture of hemipelagic mud and epiclastic sand which incorporated some hyaloclasts.
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