This rock may be basalt or peridotite, which are both iron-rich rocks.
Iron-rich Rocks
Image courtesy of NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, MCR Expedition 2011. Download larger version (jpg, 1.4 MB).

This rock may be basalt or peridotite, which are both iron-rich rocks. Interaction with a hydrothermal fluid produces yellow-orange iron oxide, also known as rust. There is no shimmering hot water visible now, so the activity must have occurred sometime in the past. This is still a useful scientific observation, since it tells us about the history of the area we are exploring.

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