noun
- Plural of aplite; fine-grained igneous rocks, typically granitic in composition, that form from the crystallization of magma.
Usage: geology; technical term; plural form
Examples
- Aplites are commonly found as thin dikes cutting through coarser-grained granite bodies.
- The geologist identified aplites in the rock samples collected from the quarry.
- Aplites form when magma cools rapidly, preventing large crystals from developing.
- These fine-grained aplites contrast sharply with the pegmatites found nearby.