Are Mafic Rocks Intrusive or Extrusive?

Origins of Igneous Rocks
The intrusion of large bodies of granite—batholiths—is usually part of the origin of a mountain range. Similarly, a fine-grained, mafic igneous rock is not only a basalt, it is an extrusive igneous rock that formed from rapid cooling and crystallization of a lava flow at earth's surface.

Are mafic rocks intrusive?

Mafic rocks include basalt, its intrusive equivalent of gabbro, and a variety of less common rock types with higher or lower contents of Na and K.

What type of rocks are intrusive and extrusive?

Igneous rocks are one of three main types of rocks (along with sedimentary and metamorphic), and they include both intrusive and extrusive rocks.

Robert Thorne

Robert Thorne

Automotive & Future Transportation Editor

Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.