ultramafic

[ uhl-truh-maf-ik ]

adjective

, Geology.

1. ultrabasic.

ultramafic

/ ŭl′trə-măf′ĭk /

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ultramafic¹

First recorded in 1940–45; ultra- + mafic

Example Sentences

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

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

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