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Basalt (Glass, Endoliths)

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Geobiology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Synonyms

Endolithic microorganisms in basaltic glass; Microbial life in glassy basalt

Definition

  • Basalt endoliths. Microorganisms that colonize and live inside fractures, vesicles, and other cavities in basaltic rocks.

  • Basalt. The most common volcanic rock formed by eruptions of magma of basaltic composition.

  • Seafloor basalt. Basalt that is exposed at the seafloor, most commonly in or close to the ocean spreading ridge axes where the crust is young, or at intraplate seamounts.

  • Subseafloor basalt. Basalt that has been buried by younger lava flows and/or deep-sea sediments, as the crust aged and moved away from the spreading ridges.

Basaltic glass and endolithic microorganisms

Introduction

Basalt is continuously formed during volcanic eruptions along the global mid-ocean ridge system, and constitutes the upper 0.5–1 km thick layer of the ocean crust which covers more than 50% of the Earth’s surface. When the basaltic magma is extruded into the cold seawater, the 1–2 cm thick outermost...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Geobiology and Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Allegaten 41, 5007, Bergen, Norway

    Ingunn H. Thorseth

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  1. Ingunn H. Thorseth
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Joachim Reitner  & Volker Thiel  & 

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Thorseth, I.H. (2011). Basalt (Glass, Endoliths). In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_21

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