Geo-Rant 219: Basic igneous rock classification

[@DynesLair-kb6qs]

I really appreciate sharing your knowledge with us. Technical is fine by me and part of what I really enjoy. Subscribed because I appreciate your clear passion for what you do.

[@stevenbaumann8692]

Thank you for watching!

[@cybernescens]

I was corrected for this very thing on reddit the other day...

[@stevenbaumann8692]

Yeah. We are too nerdy

[@karenhunt7035]

I am extremely grateful for your all diversions and "well actually" statements as well as the more highly technical diversions in the previous video. I've been self-learning geology from youtube and texts and internet resources (along with visits to places that I've seen described in some of the field trip videos), and nowhere have I found an admission that rhyolite is weird. It certainly looks weird to me. I try to sort all the information I learn, and I've begun to think that, for example, mafic/felsic is hiding more than it is revealing. Elementary texts state facts like they are pins in a paper; more advanced material turns the pins into maps. (though I'm not at all ready for the more complex geochem seminars I've seen)

[@stevenbaumann8692]

If you ever need something, I hope I can help

[@7inrain]

Thanks, that was interesting. Can we say that aphanitic rocks have cooled down much faster and therefore are more fine-grained than phaneritic rocks? So when - like in your example at @6:05 - a basaltic dike is not of volcanic origin then does this mean it has been cooled down so fast by surrounding 'cold' rock and not by being exposed to the air? And one question from the non-native english speaker (which you may not take too seriously): Why is it that Granite is pronounced 'Graneet' as opposed to any other rock on your list, like Diorite or Syenite?

[@stevenbaumann8692]

You are correct about aphanitic rocks. They always crystalize quickly. I speak English and it confuses me LOL. I actually don't know why granite is pronounced the way it is.

[@mikelong9638]

Steve, In defense of your videos being too technical, it depends on the individual watching. Thanks

[@GeologyDude]

It is always difficult to know how technical you should get. Probably only 1% of viewers know most of the technical terms. So you can lose people in talks like this easily. It can seem like one nebulous term is imbedded in another nebulous term, which is related to another nebulous term. Favoring simplification embraces more viewers, or perhaps mixing terms like "black granite" is very helpful to many (instead of gabbro--because going beyond the basics is too much to ask). But then you can become criticized for not being technical or accurate. The basic coarse/fine grain terms for felsic, intermediate, mafic and ultramafic is asking a lot for many viewers too. But I appreciate what you are trying to do.

[@BrianStevens-y6h]

The technicality factor is on the viewer not the presenter, if the tech talk is to high it's for the watcher to update his info not ask the presenter to dumb it down, that's part of what's wrong with our entire educational system at the lower levels. Catering to those who haven't the gumption to take the time to look up and search for what they need to understand is stifling to those who do.

[@stevenbaumann8692]

Thanks buddy.