ultramafic

American  

[uhl-truh-maf-ik] / ˌʌl trəˈmæf ɪk /

adjective

Geology.

1. ultrabasic.

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ultramafic Scientific  

/ ŭl′trə-măf′ĭk /

1. Containing mainly mafic minerals. Used of igneous rocks and often used interchangeably with ultrabasic. Dunite is an ultramafic rock.

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Etymology

Origin of ultramafic

First recorded in 1940–45; ultra- + mafic

Example Sentences

Quarrying, crushing, and grinding ultramafic rocks would cost only about $10 per ton of CO2 absorbed, Wilson and her team estimate.

From Science Magazine

Wilson and her colleagues sprayed the mine’s ultramafic rock tailings with dilute sulfuric acid, causing magnesium to leach out.

From Science Magazine

Start with ultramafic wastes, the calcium- and magnesium-rich rock in which diamonds, along with metals such as nickel, platinum, and palladium are found.

From Science Magazine

You need a magma that’s ultramafic, far more basic than basalt.

From Scientific American

The abundance of major, minor and trace elements in the Earth’s mantle as derived from primitive ultramafic nodules.

From Nature