This thin section shows an amygdule in a sample of amygdaloid basalt. The rock formed due to an eruption of gaseous, low viscous magma which resulted in vesicles throughout much of the rock. The rock then underwent hydrothermal alteration and low temperature alteration minerals formed in the once vesicles, forming amygdules. The amygdules are composed of quartz, celadonite (a type of mica) and epidote.
I’m still alive! I just took a long and hearty rest after finishing my Fools Commissions, of which I had literally so many, I’ve never had so many. I am extremely grateful and can’t wait to open the queue again in January!
Anyway, here’s a full on vision I had while getting my stomach tattooed.
A fossil plumbing system of an ancient Waitakere Volcano. Though the volcano went extinct and was largely eroded away, the lava flows that once spew from it are now preserved along the Maori Bay coast. The radial feature is an internal view of lava flow lobe that shows rosette style columnar jointing. This feature forms when large lava flow moves and cools slowly, allowing columns to grow, which at the same time are bent due to ongoing lava movement.
Muriwai, New Zealand
A detailed description of this flow is available in the following article:
Bear, A.N. and Cas, R.A.F., 2007. The complex facies architecture and emplacement sequence of a Miocene submarine mega-pillow lava flow system, Muriwai, North Island, New Zealand. Journal of volcanology and geothermal research, 160(1-2), pp. 1-22.
Porwaki koło Wlenia nature reserve. Pogórze Izerskie. Cretaceous sandstone xenoliths in a former tertiary volcanic chimney, crystallized into the columnar joint. Basically it’s a sandstone of a basalt-like appearance. Some of the xenoliths retained their former structure.
These falls illustrate a property of flood basalts (aka LIP or large igneous province), which have emerged in huge quantities from large fissures in the crust at odd intervals throughout Earth’s history, often contributing to mass extinctions along the way. As eruption succeeds eruption, sometimes with a prolonged gap in between which sees the development of a soil horizon that is then covered by the next layer, they form a series of distinct layers known as trapps, from the German for steps. The Deccan (roughly 65 million years old, and a factor in the death of the dinosaurs) and the Siberian (251 million years old, and the likely cause of the end Permian mass extinction, the worst ever seen in which ‘life nearly died’) trapps are the world’s most famous.
These trapps came about as South America split from Africa some 132 million years ago. As in Africa today the rifting process, prompted by rising heat from the mantle (whether a plume or convection current) starts with a huge rift valley as the continental crust is literally pulled apart in slow motion, and bleeds lava all over the surface. Bit by bit a new sea grows (like the Red sea between Africa and Arabia in the present geotectonic contet), leaving the lavas split between two continents. The remnants of the other half of the Parana-Etendeka trapps lies in Namibia and Angola.
Since then erosion has done its work, removing much of the original lava. The Parana river is continuing it, as it cuts back into a layer of this basalt, plummeting onto the one below. This photo was taken above the Brazillian side of the falls, showing their full spread. Anyone visiting should spend a day in Brazil and a couple in Argentina to get the full glory. Airpano who took the photograph are a team of Russian photographers who produce amazing 3d panoramas from helicopters, their site is well worth a visit, see the link below.
I think I’ve arrived at a tentative finish for the golden eagle illustration, 5+ adjustment layers later… I need to look at it with fresh eyes post-sleep, and then send it off. I suspect there are still stray pixels lurking with malicious intent, even if I got a lot of them earlier.
Now with More Depth! And a few detail shots for those curious.
What began with the idea of a small, half underground house grew into something far larger than I expected (as did this post). It has a modern design with a few interesting structural features around the house.
This house has two levels, one above and one below ground. The lower level opens onto a courtyard that sits amidst the courtyard and garden off of the rear of the upper level, a pool that sits partially below the floor above, and has a large atrium between the lower and upper floors.
There are two bedrooms, a study, two bathrooms (and a powder room), two large open plan living spaces (one on each floor), two courtyards and a swimming pool (oh, and a laundry pictured here).
This house is so large that I couldn’t fit all the screenshots into this post. To see a ton of other screenshots of this house (some edited, some not), check out brickmaster.tumblr.com.
Hopefully you enjoy the house, and of course it just wouldn’t look as good as it does without all the great custom content from some magnificent creators (links below).
NOTE - There’s a lot of CC in this house and I did my best to list it all here. If I have missed anything then please let me know and I’ll add it to the list.
Basalt is almost ready for release, in the meantime here are a few edited screenshots that aren’t going to make the final post. There are more to come so stay tuned!
