xenocrysts
/ˈzɛnəˌkrɪsts/
noun
- Crystals in a rock that are different from the rock around them because they came from another source, often from deep inside the Earth.
- The geologist identified xenocrysts in the lava sample that had been carried up from the mantle.
- The presence of xenocrysts helped scientists understand the history of the volcanic eruption.
- When magma rises, it can pick up xenocrysts from the surrounding rock and carry them along.