Common Rock Types

Colby Geology

Igneous Rocks
Classification based on composition and texture. COMPOSITION Principally the rock-forming minerals Olivine Pyroxenes Amphiboles Micas Feldspars Quartz

Constitute 95% of minerals in ALL igneous rocks.

COMPOSITION
You can determine basic igneous rock composition just by the COLOR of the rock. DARK COLORED igneous rocks = MAFIC

LIGHT COLORED igneous rocks = FELSIC GRAY COLORED igneous rocks = INTERMEDIATE

Color allows an approximation of igneous rock composition Related to Bowens Reaction Series (red vs. green)

1200C

Gabbro-Basalt

900C

Diorite-Andesite

Granite-Rhyolite 600C

TEXTURE
TEXTURE reflects cooling rate of magma or lava.
SLOW COOLING RAPID COOLING SLOW COOLING RAPID COOLING = = = = LARGE Crystals SMALL Crystals PLUTONIC VOLCANIC

TEXTURE Types of Textures Phaneritic

Large crystals > 2 mm Slow cooling rate = Plutonic
Granite, Light Felsic Diorite, Gray Intermediate Gabbro Dark Mafic

TEXTURE Types of Textures Aphanitic

Small crystals < 2 mm Fast cooling rate = Volcanic
Rhyolite, Felsite Light Felsic Andesite, Gray Intermediate Massive Basalt Scoria Dark Mafic

Rhyolite

Felsite

Andesite

Massive Basalt

Scoria

TEXTURE Types of Textures Glassy

No crystals, lava cools too fast Extremely fast cooling rate =
Obsidian, Pumice Light Felsic Volcanic

Pumice

Obsidian

TEXTURE Types of Textures Porphyritic

Two distinct sizes of crystals Starts cooling slowly, remainder cools quickly
Phenocrysts

Groundmass

TEXTURE Types of Textures

TEXTURE is related to origin of magma or lava. Phaneritic = Coarse-grained = Intrusive Plutonic Extrusive Volcanic

Aphanitic = Glassy

Fine-grained or smaller

Identification/Classification of Igneous Rocks Key on page 75-77 in lab manual Chart on page 91 in lab manual

IGNEOUS ROCK CLASSIFICATION

COMPOSITION PHANERITIC APHANITIC GLASSY

Dunite Ultramafic (Very Dark) Peridotite

Mafic (Dark) Gabbro Intermediate (Gray) Diorite Felsic (Light)

Basalt Scoria Andesite Rhyolite Felsite

Granite

Obsidian Pumice

Sedimentary Rocks
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
COMPOSITION Derived from pre-existing rocks. Five main constituents: Quartz Feldspar Rock fragments Clay (and clay minerals) Calcite

TEXTURE CLASTIC fragments of rock debris

Classified by analyzing grain-size

Sediment Size (mm) Particle Name Rock Name

>256
64-256 4-64 2-4 0.063-2

Boulder
Cobble Gravel Pebble Granule Sand Sandstone Conglomerate Breccia

0.004-0.063
<0.004

Silt
Mud Clay

Siltstone
Mudstone Shale

Particles >2mm

CONGLOMERATE (rounded clasts) BRECCIA (angular clasts) 1/16 - 2mm = medium-grained SANDSTONE <2mm = fine-grained SHALE Sandstones further classified on the basis of their mineralogical composition: Mostly quartz >25% feldspar 1/3 silt, clay and rock fragments = QUARTZ SS. = ARKOSE = GREYWACKE

= coarse-grained

Coarse-grained Clastic Sedimentary Rocks

Conglomerate

Breccia

Medium-grained Clastic Sedimentary Rocks

Sandstones
Arkose

Greywacke

Qtz. Sandstone

Fine-grained Clastic Sedimentary Rocks

Shale

Sedimentary Rocks
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
CHEMICAL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS precipitated from sea water (evaporites) initially dissolved in water very similar in appearance to igneous rocks except MONOMINERALIC. texture is crystalline if visible microcrystalline if not

OOLITIC LIMESTONE CHERT DOLOMITE

Oolitic Limestone

Chert

Dolostone

CHEMICAL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS ROCK SALT or HALITE composed of halite (NaCl) microcrystalline to crystalline precipitates from sea water forms economic deposits

Sedimentary Rocks
Organic Sedimentary Rocks
ORGANIC or BIOCLASTIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS can be crystalline or clastic (bioclastic) all particles are derived from organisms typically composed of calcite or aragonite (CaCO3)

Lithographic Limestone or Micrite

Very fine-grained limestone Formed from calcareous algae Fizzes in HCl

Fossiliferous Limestone

NONCARBONATE ORGANIC SED. ROCKS CHERT microcrystalline composed of skeletons, microscopic in size made of SiO2 hardness = 7 may exhibit conchoidal fracture

NONCARBONATE ORGANIC SED. ROCKS PEAT composed of compressed plant debris basic building block of coal used as a fuel source in some areas

Identification/Classification of Sedimentary Rocks Key on page 79-80 in lab manual Chart on page 93 in lab manual

Metamorphic Rocks
Rocks are fundamentally changed by HEAT and/or PRESSURE May be derived from ANY pre-existing rock type CLASSIFICATION based on the presence or absence of FOLIATION FOLIATION is the parallel alignment of the tabular minerals (micas and clay minerals) and by varying degrees of banding.

Metamorphic Rocks
Types of Foliation Slatey cleavage very fine-grained rocks

Usually found in slate and phyllite

Metamorphic Rocks
Types of Foliation Schistosity platy minerals visible

Usually found in schist

Metamorphic Rocks
Types of Foliation Gneissic banding minerals segregated into bands

Usually found in gneiss

Metamorphic Rocks
Foliated Rocks SLATE PHYLLITE SCHIST GNEISS Have slatey cleavage Rock splits along parallel planes Has schistosity Has gneissic banding

Metamorphic Rocks
Nonfoliated Rocks NO structure is apparent in the rock Rock is typically MASSIVE (monomineralic)

Metamorphic Rocks
Nonfoliated Rocks

MARBLE
Is composed of calcite (CaCO3), soft H = 3 Will react to dilute hydrochloric acid

Metamorphic Rocks
Nonfoliated Rocks

QUARTZITE
Metamorphosed quartz sandstone Hardness = 7

Metamorphic Rocks
Nonfoliated Rocks

ANTHRACITE COAL
Formed from organic material (plant debris) Contains no minerals

Metamorphic Rocks
Nonfoliated Rocks

GREENSTONE
Composed of metamorphosed mafic igneous rocks

Identification/Classification of Metamorphic Rocks Key on page 82 in lab manual Chart on page 95 in lab manual