orthopyroxene
Noun
Meaning
orthopyroxene (plural orthopyroxenes)
(mineralogy) Any pyroxene that forms orthorhombic crystals.
Examples
Alkali basalts typically have mineral assemblages that lack orthopyroxene but contain olivine.
In contrast, Mg-rich olivine does not occur stably with silica minerals, as it would react with them to form orthopyroxene ((Mg,Fe) 2 Si 2 O 6 ).