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Volcanic Rocks of the Central Segment of the Vygorlat-Hutynskyi Range: Mineralogical and Petrological Characteristics

Dmytrii Biruk1, Iryna Poberezhska1, Nataliia Bilyk1, Leonid Skakun1, Oleksandr Kostiuk1
1Department of Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry named after Professor Orest Matkovskyi, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70517/revcc2624124
Published: 23/09/2026
: Dmytrii Biruk, Iryna Poberezhska, Nataliia Bilyk, Leonid Skakun, Oleksandr Kostiuk. Volcanic Rocks of the Central Segment of the Vygorlat-Hutynskyi Range: Mineralogical and Petrological Characteristics. Revista Cultura Científica, 2026 Issue 24. pg. 1497-1512.

Abstract

The article examines the mineralogical and petrological features of volcanic rocks in the central segment of the Vyhorlat-Hutynskyi Range, using quarries near the villages of Bilky and Ardanovo as representative study sites. The study aims to establish the mineral composition of the andesite-basalts, determine their structural, textural, and petrographic characteristics, and clarify the composition of the principal rock-forming minerals on the basis of microprobe analysis. Particular attention is given to plagioclases and pyroxenes, which are the main mineral components of the investigated volcanic rocks. The methodological basis of the study includes field geological observations, petrographic analysis of thin sections, microscopic investigations, and microprobe analysis of minerals. To determine the mineral composition, optical microscopy methods were applied, and triangular diagrams showing variations in the chemical composition of plagioclases and pyroxenes were constructed using the Grapher computer program. Comparative and structural-mineralogical approaches were used to interpret the analytical results and establish the petrogenetic features of the volcanic rocks. It was established that the volcanic rocks exposed in the investigated quarries are represented by andesite-basalts with a porphyritic structure and an andesitic groundmass containing fragments of intersertal and pilotaxitic structures. The main rock-forming minerals were identified as plagioclases, represented by labradorite, bytownite, and anorthite, together with orthorhombic and monoclinic pyroxenes. Reaction rims, secondary mineral formations, and ore minerals, particularly magnetite and ilmenite, were also identified, indicating complex crystallization processes and subsequent secondary alteration of the volcanic rocks.

Keywords: andesite-basalts, volcanic rocks, plagioclase, pyroxene, microprobe analysis, petrographic studies

Abstract

The article examines the mineralogical and petrological features of volcanic rocks in the central segment of the Vyhorlat-Hutynskyi Range, using quarries near the villages of Bilky and Ardanovo as representative study sites. The study aims to establish the mineral composition of the andesite-basalts, determine their structural, textural, and petrographic characteristics, and clarify the composition of the principal rock-forming minerals on the basis of microprobe analysis. Particular attention is given to plagioclases and pyroxenes, which are the main mineral components of the investigated volcanic rocks. The methodological basis of the study includes field geological observations, petrographic analysis of thin sections, microscopic investigations, and microprobe analysis of minerals. To determine the mineral composition, optical microscopy methods were applied, and triangular diagrams showing variations in the chemical composition of plagioclases and pyroxenes were constructed using the Grapher computer program. Comparative and structural-mineralogical approaches were used to interpret the analytical results and establish the petrogenetic features of the volcanic rocks. It was established that the volcanic rocks exposed in the investigated quarries are represented by andesite-basalts with a porphyritic structure and an andesitic groundmass containing fragments of intersertal and pilotaxitic structures. The main rock-forming minerals were identified as plagioclases, represented by labradorite, bytownite, and anorthite, together with orthorhombic and monoclinic pyroxenes. Reaction rims, secondary mineral formations, and ore minerals, particularly magnetite and ilmenite, were also identified, indicating complex crystallization processes and subsequent secondary alteration of the volcanic rocks.

Keywords: andesite-basalts, volcanic rocks, plagioclase, pyroxene, microprobe analysis, petrographic studies

References

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Dmytrii Biruk
Department of Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry named after Professor Orest Matkovskyi, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
bir.dimitry@gmail.com
Iryna Poberezhska
Department of Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry named after Professor Orest Matkovskyi, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
Nataliia Bilyk
Department of Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry named after Professor Orest Matkovskyi, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
Leonid Skakun
Department of Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry named after Professor Orest Matkovskyi, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
Oleksandr Kostiuk
Department of Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry named after Professor Orest Matkovskyi, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine

How to cite:

Dmytrii Biruk, Iryna Poberezhska, Nataliia Bilyk, Leonid Skakun, Oleksandr Kostiuk. Volcanic Rocks of the Central Segment of the Vygorlat-Hutynskyi Range: Mineralogical and Petrological Characteristics. Revista Cultura Científica, 2026 Issue 24. pg. 1497-1512.

Publication History

  • Received: 17/06/2026
  • Accepted: 17/09/2026
  • Published: 23/09/2026
Copyright © 2026, Dmytrii Biruk, Iryna Poberezhska, Nataliia Bilyk, Leonid Skakun, Oleksandr Kostiuk. Published by Revista Cultura Científica. This article is published as open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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