Basalt Microlapilli in Deep Sea Sediments of Indian Ocean in the Vicinity of Vityaz Fracture Zone

Two cores recovered from the flanks of Mid-India oceanic ridge in the vicinity of Vityaz fracture zone consist of discrete pyroclastic layers at various depths. These layers are composed of coarse-grained, angular basaltic microlapilli in which labradorite is the major mineral set in a glassy mesostasis. Chemically the microlapilli are similar to Mid-Indian oceanic ridge basalts. The microlapilli are suggested to have been formed by the process of granulation, transportation and deposition, during Late Quaternary when lava of low viscosity erupted from small vents on a segment of Vityaz fracture zone.