Rock glass

nounStandard termMining

A natural glass formed by the rapid cooling of magma or lava.

An amorphous, non-crystalline solid produced when molten rock cools too quickly for mineral crystals to grow. It typically occurs on the chilled margins of dykes or in volcanic extrusions, and over geologic time, it tends to devitrify into a finely crystalline mass.

Heard on the job

The core sample shows a distinct band of rock glass right at the contact with the country rock.