IGNEOUS ROCKS

difference between basalt and gabbro is

that basalt is a fine-grained rock while
gabbro is a coarse-grained rock.

Pumice is a light-colored, extremely

porous igneous rock that forms during
explosive volcanic eruptions. It is used
as aggregate in lightweight concrete, as
landscaping aggregate, and as an
abrasive in a variety of industrial and
consumer products. Many specimens
have a high enough porosity that they
can float on water until they slowly
become waterlogged.

Scoria is a dark-colored igneous rock

with abundant round bubble-like
cavities known as vesicles. It ranges in
color from black or dark gray to deep
reddish brown. Scoria usually has a
composition similar to basalt, but can
also have a composition similar to
andesite.
Many people believe that small pieces
of scoria look like the ash produced in a
coal furnace. That has resulted in
particles of scoria being called "cinders"
and the small volcanoes that erupt
scoria to be called "cinder cones".

Basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained,

igneous rock composed mainly of
plagioclase and pyroxene minerals. It
most commonly forms as an extrusive
rock, such as a lava flow, but can also
form in small intrusive bodies, such as
an igneous dike or a thin sill. It has a
composition similar to gabbro. The
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MRS.

DON HENESSY S. DAVID

rock of intermediate metamorphic

grade between phyllite and gneiss.

METAMORPHIC ROCKS

Amphibolite is a coarse-grained
metamorphic rock that is composed
mainly of green, brown or black
amphibole minerals and plagioclase
feldspar. The amphiboles are usually
members of the hornblende group. It
can also contain minor amounts of
other metamorphic minerals such as:
biotite, epidote, garnet, wollastonite,
andalusite, staurolite, kyanite and
silimanite. Quartz, magnetite and
calcite can also be present in small
amounts.

Slate is a fine-grained, foliated

metamorphic rock that is created by the
alteration of shale or mudstone by lowgrade regional metamorphism. It is
popular for a wide variety of uses such
as roofing, flooring and flagging
because of its durability and attractive
appearance.

Schist is metamorphic rock with well

developed foliation. It often contains
significant amounts of mica which allow
the rock to split into thin pieces. It is a
KINDS OF ROCKS
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MRS.

DON HENESSY S. DAVID

Conglomerate is a clastic
sedimentary rock that contains large
(greater than two millimeters in
diameter) rounded clasts. The space
between the clasts is generally filled
with smaller particles and/or a chemical
cement that binds the rock together.

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Breccia is a term most often used for

clastic sedimentary rocks that are
composed of large angular fragments
(over two millimeters in diameter). The
spaces between the large angular
fragments can be filled with a matrix of
smaller particles or a mineral cement
that binds the rock together.

KINDS OF ROCKS
PUREZA SUMABAT

MRS.

IRON ORE
Earth's most important iron ore deposits
are found in sedimentary rocks. They
formed from chemical reactions that
combined iron and oxygen in marine
and fresh waters. The two most
important minerals in these deposits
are iron oxides: hematite (Fe2O3) and
magnetite (Fe3O4). These iron ores
have been mined to produce almost
every iron and steel object that we use
today - from paper clips to automobiles
to the steel beams in skyscrapers.

DON HENESSY S. DAVID