Agate geode in Rhyolite (igneous rock)

3D ModelNoAI

Locality: ?Brad, Romania

No.: -

Size: 7 x 6 x 3 cm

Formula: SiO2

Type: Sedimentary/Hydrothermal mineral formation in Igneous rock

Description: This specimen features a colorful, banded agate formed within a cavity of porphyritic rhyolite (a silica-rich volcanic rock). As the rhyolitic lava cooled, gas bubbles created empty vesicles. Over time, silica-rich groundwater seeped in, depositing microscopic layers of chalcedony along the cavity walls. The concentric banding, shifting from vibrant oranges and reds to translucent white, reflects changes in mineral content (like iron oxides) during crystallization, ending with crystalline quartz in the center.

Essential minerals: quartz, feldspar.

Accessory minerals: mafic minerals, Fe-oxides.

Website: http://geology.uaic.ro/muzee/mineralogie/

Concept & 3D-modelling by Andrei Ionut APOPEI