Igneous Rocks Flashcards
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
Tephra
General term for solid, but fragmented, material erupted from a volcano. Has 3 subcomponents Ash (<2 mm), Lapilli (2-64mm), and blocks and bombs (>64mm)
Ash
Volcanic tephra that is less than 2mm in diameter
Lapilli
Volcanic tephra that has a diameter between 2mm and 64mm. Many ciders are within this category.
Bombs (Tephra)
AKA Blocks
Large volcanic tephra greater than 65mm in diameter
Tuff
Rocks made from pyroclastic tephra; either ash, lapilli, and/or bombs. Tephra types can be used as an adjective.
If deposited when hot where material can fuse together while hot, the rock is called welded tuff.
Composition
The mineral make up of a rock. What minerals are found within a rock
Igneous Rock 4 groups by composition
Felsic Intermediate Mafic Ultramafic -These groups refer to differing amounts of silica, iron, and magnesium
Felsic
Predominance of light-colored (felsic) minerals. FELdspar and SILica in the form of quarts.
- Minor amounts of dark-colored minerals
- Rich in silica (65-75% range)
- Poor in magnesium and iron
- Primary felsic rocks are rhyolite (extrusive) and granite (intrusive)
Rocks with 65-75% silica
Felsic
Intermediate
- Composition between felsic and mafic
- Usually contains roughly-equal amounts of light and dark minerals
- Intermediate silica in the range of 55-60%
Rocks with 55-60% Silica
Intermediate
Mafic
- Abundance of ferromagnesian minerals (with magnesium and iron symbols Mg and Fe) plus plagioclase feldspar. Commonly made of dark minerals.
- Low in silica 45-50% range
Rocks with silica range between 45-55%
Mafic
Ultramafic
- Refers to the extremely mafic rocks composed mostly of olivine and some pyroxene
- Poor in silica 40% or less
Rocks with less than 40% silica
Ultramafic
Plutonic
Igneous rock cooling, and thus forming, inside the Earth
General name of a felsic rock that is extrusive. Generally has a white, tan, or pink groundmass color
Rhyolite
General name of a felsic rock that is intrusive
Granite
Intermediate rock that is extrusive. Generally has a grey groundmass
Andesite
Intermediate rock that is intrusive
Diorite
Mafic rock that is extrusive. Generally has a black groundmass color
Basalt
Mafic rock that is intrusive
Gabbro
Intrusive ultramafic rock. Which is the main component of the mantle. The minerals are typically olivine with some pyroxene.
Peridotite
Komatiite
Fine-grained extrusive ultramafic
-Rare because volcanic material that comes direct from the mantle is not common. Although some examples can be found in ancient Archean rocks
Archean
Eon defined as the time between 4 billion years ago and 2.5 billion years ago. Most of the oldest rocks on Earth, including portions of the continents, formed at this time
Phaneritic (What rocks)
Coarse grained.
Granite, Diorite, Gabbro, Peridotite
Aphanitic (Rock types)
Fine-grained
Rhyolite, Andesite, Basalt
Porphyritic
Large crystals in a fine matrix
Porphyritic Rhyolite, Porphyritic Andesite, Porphyritic Basalt
Vesicular
Bubbly or frothy
Pumice, Scoria
Glassy
Obsidian
Pyroclastic
Fragmental
Rhyolitic Tuff or Volcanic Breccia, Andesitic Tuff or Volcanic Breccia, Basaltic Tuff or Volcanic Breccia
Which type of rocks are more common in geological record? And why?
Intrusive because they are formed underground with larger, stronger crystals and are more likely to last. Extrusive crystals are also less durable.
Dike
(Also Dyke) A narrow igneous intrusion that cuts through existing rock. Not along bedding planes.
- Important for dating rock sequences and interpreting the geological history of an area.
- Discordant intrusions
Sills
A type of dike that is parallel to bedding planes within the bedrock
-Concordant intrusion
Country Rock
Term for the lithified rocks that make up the geological record in an area. This term can sometimes refer to only the deeper, crystalline (Non-Layered) rocks.
Strata
Discernible layers of rock, typically from sedimentary rock
Magma Chamber
A reservoir of magma below a volcano
Diapir
The path of rising magma
- Domed rock formation in which a core of rock has moved upward to pierce overlying strata
- , geological structure consisting of mobile material that was forced into more brittle surrounding rocks, usually by the upward flow of material from a parent stratum.
Stoping
The process of surrounding bedrock being broken off and passed through a magma
When a diapir cools it forms a mass of intrusive rock called a ____________
When a diapir cools it forms a mass of intrusive rock called a PLUTON
Pluton
A coherent body of intrusive rock (which is formed underground) which is now at (or near) the surface
-Can be irregular shapes, but can often be somewhat round
Where do igneous rocks with a coarse-grained (phaneritic) texture form?
Phaneritic (coarse grain) igneous rocks cool slowly deep underground.
How does the silica content affect the behavior of magma?
Increasing silica in the transition from ultramafic to felsic composition makes the magma more viscous.
Which rock composition has the most amount of iron and magnesium?
ultramafic
What causes igneous rocks to develop a fine-grained (aphanitic) texture?
Fast cooling Fine grain (aphanitic) igneous rocks cool rapidly on the surface.
A basaltic intrusion that cuts across layers of sedimentary rocks is called a _______.
A basaltic intrusion that cuts across layers of sedimentary rocks is called a DIKE.
___________ describes the temperature at which minerals crystallize when cooled, or melt when heated.
BOWEN’S REACTION SERIES describes the temperature at which minerals crystallize when cooled, or melt when heated.
The most important aspect of Bowen’s Reaction Series is to notice the relationships between ____ and ____
The most important aspect of Bowen’s Reaction Series is to notice the relationships between MINERALS and TEMPERATURE
Examine Bowen’s Reaction Series diagram. If a rock contains amphibole, potassium feldspar (orthoclase), and quartz, if the rock is heated, which mineral would melt first?
The Bowen diagram shows that quartz both crystallizes from cooling magma and melts from heated rock at the lowest temperature.
Examine Bowen’s Reaction Series diagram. Which mineral has the highest temperature of crystallization?
The Bowen diagram shows that olivine both crystallizes from cooling magma and melts from heated rock at the highest temperature.
Examine Bowen’s Reaction Series diagram. As a felsic magma cools, which mineral would be the last to crystallize?
The Bowen diagram shows that quartz both crystallizes from cooling magma and melts from heated rock at the lowest temperature.
The rate at which temperature increases with depth is called the _____________
The rate at which temperature increases with depth is called the GEOTHERMAL GRADIENT.
Magma is created at mid-ocean ridges via _______
Magma is created at mid-ocean ridges via DECOMPRESSION MELTING.
What is the process by which decompression melting produces magma at divergent plate boundaries?
reduction of pressure at constant temperature
-Decompression melting takes place when pressure is reduced on rising asthenospheric material which remains at the same temperature at divergent boundaries.
If volatiles such as water vapor and carbon dioxide are added to a rock, what will happen to the melting temperature?
The melting temperature of a rock will decrease
Volatiles added to hot rock act as a flux reducing the melting point and causing the rock to melt at that same temperature.