spherulite

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spherulite (adj. spherulitic) A spherical to ellipsoidal aggregate of radiating, fibrous crystals, usually quartz and alkali feldspar, found in glassy or felsitic, aphanitic groundmasses of igneous rocks. Spherulites range in diameter from less than 1 mm to about 1 m and are formed by the devitrification of quenched glassy igneous rocks which are usually silicic in composition.

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