Igneous Rocks
Crystalline- forms as liquid cools
Characteristics of magma
● Igneous rocks form as molten rock cools and
solidifies
● Characteristics of magmas (molten rock) depend
on parent material and where they crystallize
● Forms from partial melting of rocks inside the Earth
● Rocks formed from lava at the surface are
classified as extrusive, or volcanic rocks. At
surface, fast cooling makes small crystals
● Rocks formed from magma that crystallizes
at depth are termed intrusive, or plutonic
rocks
Physical properties of magma
● Three state:
– Liquid portion, called melt, that is mobile ions
– Solids, if any, are silicate minerals already crystallized
from the melt
– Volatiles, which are gases dissolved in the melt,
including water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and
sulfur dioxide (SO2)
● Role of Pressure
– Reducing the pressure lowers the melting
temperature – the rock probably melts
– RIDGE: When confining pressures drop,
decompression melting occurs
● Role of volatiles - WATER
– Volatiles (primarily water) cause rocks to melt at
lower temperatures
– This is particularly important where oceanic
lithosphere descends into the mantle in a subduction
Silica Content
●Silica content influences a magma’s
behavior
● Granitic magma
– High silica content
– Extremely viscous
o
– Liquid exists at temperatures as low as 700 C
– Huge explosion if it erupts (Yellowstone, Toba)
● Basaltic magma
– Much lower silica content
– Fluid-like behavior
– Crystallizes at higher temperatures
– Gurgles when it erupts (Hawaii)
Two Geologic Environments Where Igneous Rocks Form
Igneous Rocks
Formed in Rift
Igneous Rocks
Formed Above
Sinking Plate
Both melts are "Basaltic" i.e. Olivine, Pyroxene and Ca-Feldspars
Bowen’s Reaction Series
Molten- VERY Hot
No solids
First mineral to crystallize out
Molten- Not so hot
100% Solid
Fine crystals
Need a microscope
Low silica, HOT, fluid Intermediate High silica, warm, viscous
Course crystals
Easily seen
Characteristics of magma
●Igneous rocks are typically classified by
both:
– Texture
– Mineral composition
● Texture in igneous rocks is determined by the
size and arrangement of mineral grains
Igneous textures
Most important is crystal size
● Factors affecting crystal size
● Rate of cooling
– Slow rate promotes the growth of fewer
but larger crystals
– Fast rate forms many small crystals
– Very fast rate forms glass
Types of Igneous textures
●Types of igneous textures
● Aphanitic (fine-grained) texture
– Rapid rate of cooling of lava or magma
– Microscopic crystals
– May contain vesicles (holes from gas
bubbles)
● Phaneritic (coarse-grained) texture
– Slow cooling
– Crystals can be identified without a
microscope
Types of igneous textures
● Porphyritic texture
– Minerals form at different temperatures
as well as differing rates
– Large crystals, called phenocrysts, are
embedded in a matrix of smaller
crystals, called the groundmass
● Glassy texture
– Very rapid cooling of molten rock
– Resulting rock is called obsidian
Type of Igneous textures
● Pyroclastic texture
–Various fragments ejected during a
violent volcanic eruption
–Textures often appear to more
similar to sedimentary rocks
Type of Igneous textures
● Pegmatitic texture
–Exceptionally coarse grained
crystals
–Form in late stages of fractionation
of magmas
–This is often what prospectors are
looking for
Igneous Compositions
Igneous rocks are composed primarily of
silicate minerals that include:
Dark (or ferromagnesian) colored silicates
– Olivine
– Pyroxene
– Amphibole
●light colored silicate minerals that include:
– Quartz
– Muscovite mica
– Feldspars
Igneous compositions
● Naming igneous rocks – granitoid (felsic) rocks
– Phaneritic
– Over 20 percent quartz, about 25 percent
or more feldspar (usually much more
feldspars).
– Plagioclase is Sodium-rich
– Abundant and often associated with
mountain building
– The term granitoid covers a wide range
of mineral compositions
Igneous compositions
● Basaltic composition can be fine or
coarse
– Composed of dark Olivine and Pyroxene
and grey calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar
– No Potassium-rich feldspar (no K-spar
‘Microcline’)
– Designated as being mafic (magnesium
and ferrum, for iron) in composition
– Much denser than granitic rocks - sinks
– Comprises the ocean floor as well as many
volcanic islands such as Hawaii. Also rift
valley lavas
Naming igneous rocks – basaltic
(mafic) rocks:
● Fine-grained: Basalt
– Volcanic origin
– Aphanitic texture
– Composed mainly of pyroxene, some olivine and also
calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar
– Most common extrusive igneous rock
● Coarse Grained: Gabbro
– Intrusive equivalent of basalt
– Phaneritic texture consisting of pyroxene and calcium-rich
plagioclase
– Makes up a significant percentage of the oceanic crust,
beneath the basalt pillow lavas.
Name of Igneous rock
Intermediate (or andesitic) composition
– Contain at least 25 percent dark silicate
minerals
– Associated with explosive volcanic activity
– Often gray
●Example: Andesite
– Volcanic origin
– Aphanitic texture
– Often resembles rhyolite
– Intermediate silica content
– Frequent composition in volcanoes above
subduction zones, e.g. in Andes Mountains
Name of Igneous rock
●Intermediate rocks
● Diorite
– Plutonic equivalent of andesite
– Coarse grained
– Intrusive
– Composed mainly of intermediate feldspar and
amphibole
●Naming igneous rocks – pyroclastic rocks
Composed of fragments ejected during a
volcanic eruption
●Varieties
Tuff – ash-sized fragments
Volcanic breccia – particles larger than ash
Basalts forming in rifts and MORs
Decompression Melting:
Magma under lithosphere heats and cracks
it. Mantle rock is exposed to low pressures
– it partially melts
Origin of Andesite & Diorite: intermediate silica content
Basaltic here
Good diagram for
the Andes Mountains
Small blobs, not much heat in them
Assimilate some crust, fractionate
Origin of Granitic Rocks
Huge blobs under thick
part of continent w/ low
temps but lots of
magma, fractionation &
assimilation => Granite
Batholiths
Can also get small amounts of granites from deep felsc rock passed by ascending magma
