Igneous rock forms when hot, liquid rock, or magma, cools and solidifies.

The type of igneous rock that forms depends on the composition of the magma and the amount of time it takes the magma to cool.

Origins of Igneous Rock

Igneous rock begins as magma. Are three ways magma can form: When rock is heated , when pressure is released, or when rock changes Composition. When magma cools enough, it solidifies to form igneous rock. Magma solidifies in much the same way that water freezes. But there are also differences between the way that magma freezes And the way water freezes. One main difference is that water freezes at 0o C. Magma freezes 700 C and 1,250o C.

The Formation of Magma

Composition When fluids Such as water combine with Rock, the composition of the rock changes, which lower the melting point of the rock enough to melt it.

Pressure The high presSure deep inside the Earth forces minerals to remain solid. When hot rock rises to shallow depths, the pressure in the rock is Released, and the minerals can melt.

Temperature A rise in Temperature can cause The minerals in a rock to Melt. Different melting Points cause some minerals to melt while other minerals remain solid.

Igneous Rock Texture

Coarse-grained Fine- garined

Felsic

Granite

Rhyolite

Mafic Gabbro Basalt

Composition and Texture of Igneous Rock

The light-colored rocks are less dense than the dark-colored rocks are. The light- colored rocks are rich in elements such as aluminum, Potassium, silicon, and sodium. These rocks are called felsic rocks. The dark- colored rocks, called mafic rocks, are rich in calcium, iron , And magnesium , and poor in silicon.

In contrast, the less time magma takes to cool, The less time crystals have to grow. Therefore, the Rock that is formed will fine grained. Fine- gained Igneous rock contains very small crystals, or if the Cooling is very rapid, it contains no crystals

Igneous Rock Formation

Igneous rock formation are located above and below the surface of the Earth.

Intrusive Igneous Rock

When magma intrudes, or pushes, into sorrounding rock below the Earths surface and cools, the rock that forms is called intrrusive igneous rock. Intrusive igneous rock usually has a coarse- grained texture because it is well insulated by surrounding rock and cools very Slowly. The minerals that form are large, visible crystals.

Plutons are large, irregular. Shaped intrusive bodies. The largest of all Igneous intrusions are batholiths. Stocks are intrusive bodies that Are exposed over smaller areas then batholiths. Sheetlike intrusion That across previous rock units are called dikes, whereas sills are Sheetlike intrusions thet are oriented parallel to previous rock units.

Extrusive Igneous Rock

Igneous rock that forms from magma that erupts, or extrudes, onto the Earths surface is called extrusive igneous rock.

This lava cools to form new ocean floor. When a large amount of lava Flows out of fissures onto land, the lava Can cover a large area and form a plain called a lava Plateau.