Igneous Rocks Flashcards
(198 cards)
Granite
is a course-crystalline felsic intrusive rock. The presence of quartz is a good indicator of granite. Granite commonly has large amounts of salmon pink potassium feldspar and white plagioclase crystals that have visible cleavage planes. Granite is a good approximation for the continental crust, both in density and composition.
Rhyolite
Rhyolite is a fine-crystalline felsic extrusive rock. Rhyolite is commonly pink and will often have glassy quartz phenocrysts. Because felsic lavas are less mobile, it is less common than granite. Examples of rhyolite include several lava flows in Yellowstone National Park and the altered rhyolite that makes up the Grand Canyon of the
Diorite
Diorite is a coarse-crystalline intermediate intrusive igneous rock. Diorite is identifiable by it’s Dalmatian-like appearance of black hornblende and biotite and white plagioclase feldspar. It is found in its namesake, the Andes Mountains as well as the Henry and Abajo mountains of Utah
Andesite
Andesite is a fine crystalline intermediate extrusive rock. It is commonly grey and porphyritic. It can be found in the Andes Mountains and in some island arcs (see Chapter 2). It is the fine grained compositional equivalent of diorite.
Gabbro
Gabbro is a coarse-grained mafic intrusive igneous rock , made with mainly mafic minerals like pyroxene and only minor plagioclase. Because mafic lava is more mobile, it is less common than basalt. Gabbro is a major component of the lower oceanic crust.
Basalt
Basalt is a fine-grained mafic extrusive igneous rock. It is commonly vesicular and aphanitic. When porphyritic, it often has either olivine or plagioclase phenocrysts. Basalt is the main rock which is formed at mid-ocean ridges, and is therefore the most common rock on the Earth’s surface, making up the entirety of the ocean floor (except where covered by sediment).
Igneous Rock
Rocks that are formed from liquid rock. i.e. Volcanic processes
Molten material is called _______ when it is in the ground and _____ when it is on the surface.
Molten material is called MAGMA when it is in the ground and LAVA when it is on the surface.
How are igneous rocks classified?
Based on texture and composition.
Texture- Physical characteristics of the minerals
Composition- Refers to the rock’s specific mineralogy and chemical composition
If the magma cools slowly, deep within the crust, the resulting rock is called _______
Intrusive or Plutonic
Phaneritic
Large, easy-to-see crystals within an igneous rock. This is common in intrusive rocks.
Slow cooling processes allows crystals to grow large. Giving a coarse-grained texture
Intrusive
AKA Plutonic
Igneous rock cooling and then forming inside the Earth
Volcanic Glass
Extrusive rock that cools so rapidly it does not develop crystals at all.
Obsidian
Dark colored volcanic glass, with extremely small microscopic crystals or no crystals. Typically form from felsic volcanism
Extrusive
Igneous rock cooling and thus forming outside of the earth.
Phenocrysts
A large crystal within an igneous rock. These can be seen within phaneritic and porphyritic rocks.
Groundmass
Fine-grained, not discernible part of a rock
Pegmatitic
A rock (Or texture within a rock) with unusually-large crystals. Minerals with rare trace element concentrations and/or unusual minerals. Typically forming in veins as the last dredges of magma crystalize.
All magmas contain gases dissolved in solution called _____
All magmas contain gases dissolved in solution called VOLATILES
The gas bubbles in magma become trapped in solidifying lava to create _______
All magmas contain gases dissolved in solution called VESICULAR TEXTURE
The volcanic rock with common vesicles is called __________
The volcanic rock with common vesicles is called SCORIA
An extreme version of scoria occurs when volatile-rich lava becomes meringue-like froth of glass called ________
An extreme version of scoria occurs when volatile-rich lava becomes meringue-like froth of glass called PUMICE
Pumice
Low density, highly vesiculated. Usually white to tan volcanic rock. Typically arises from felsic volcanism.
-Some pumice is so full of vesicles that the density of the rock drops low enough that it will float.
Conchoidal
Fractures that have a circular appearance