Pegmatite intrusion into gneiss rock. Pegmatite (white) is a type of igneous rock. An igneous rock rises in a molten state from depth and solidifies as it intrudes into pre-existing rock or reaches the surface. Here,the pegmatite has intruded into orthogneiss,a metamorphic rock that was formed earlier when igneous rock was altered by pressure and heat at depth. These rocks are in the Swiss Alps,and were formed,raised to the surface,and exposed by erosion,as the Alps mountain range formed. Intrusions like this help to determine the relative ages of the rocks. Photographed on the Verzasca River near Lavertezzo,Switzerland | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Szoenyi, Michael |
Taille de l’image : | 2953 px × 4430 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |