noun
- Plural of andesite; a type of volcanic rock that is intermediate in composition between basalt and dacite, typically gray and fine-grained.
Usage: geology; technical
Examples
- The volcanic mountains in the Andes are composed largely of andesytes.
- Geologists collected samples of andesytes from the lava flows to study their mineral composition.
- Andesytes are commonly found in subduction zones where oceanic plates descend beneath continental plates.
- The andesytes in this region show evidence of multiple eruption cycles.
- These andesytes contain crystals of feldspar and pyroxene.