Glassy Basalt Recovered by ROPOS
![Glassy Basalt Recovered by ROPOS](http://io.ocean.washington.edu/files/glassy.basalt.web_med.jpg)
This very glassy basalt was sampled from the April 2011 lava flow by ROPOS from the southeastern side of the caldera on Axial Seamount. The glass forms when the 1200°C melt meets 2°C seawater. Scientists on land will use the glass to date the sample and to study its geochemistry and gas content.
Related Stories
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png)
For commercial use or higher resolution please contact Nancy Penrose