IGNEOUS ROCK DESCRIPTION

A. Rock type (Felsic/Intermediate/Mafic igneous rock)

B. Rock colour
C. Crystal size
- Very coarse-grained or pegmatitic : > 10 mm
- Coarse-grained : 5-10 mm
- Medium-grained : 1-5 mm
- Fine-grained : 0,1-1 mm
- Aphanitic (cannot be seen with unaided eye) : <0,1 mm
D. Texture of crystaline igneous rock (not for fragmental rock/pyroclastic)
- Based from crystal size
o Equigranular
Phaneritic : a texture in which nearly all of the mineral constituents can be
distinguished by the unaided eye.
Aphanitic : a fine-grained texture in which the individual constituents cannot be
distinguished by the unaided eye. Includes both crystalline and glassy rocks.
o Porphyrytic : (a texture in igneous rocks in which conspicuously large crystals
(phenocrysts) are imbedded in a finer-grained or glassy groundmass.
Phanerophorphyrytic
Phorphyroaphanitic
- Based from crystalinity
o Holocrystalline : composed wholly of crystalline material.
o Hypocrystalline : composed in part of glass and in part of crystalline material.
o Holohyaline : composed wholly of glass.
- Based from crystals connection
o Idiomorphic granular : a granular texture in which the mineral constituents are
mostly euhedral.
o Hypidiomorphic granular : a granular texture where the mineral constituents show
boundaries in part only.
o Allotriomorphic/Xenomorphic granular : a granular texture in which most grains
are anhedral.
- Another special texture
o Antiperthite - a perthitic intergrowth in which plagioclase encloses potash feldspar
o Aplitic - a fine-grained, sugary texture in igneous rocks in which the constituents
are anhedral grains.
o Eutaxitic - a term describing the streaked appearance of certain volcanic rocks due
to alternating bands or lenses of different material, color, or texture. May in part
be a fluidal structure, and, in part, depositional.
o Glomeroporphyritic - a porphyritic texture in which the phenocrysts occur in
aggregates.
o Graphic texture - An intergrowth of two minerals (commonly quartz and potash
feldspar) giving a pattern resembling cunieform or semitic characters. The
individual grains of each mineral, though apparently isolated from each other,
have parallel optical orientation over small areas.
o Hyalopilitic - a texture where numerous microlites (commonly feldspar) are
enclosed in a glassy groundmass.
 o Intersertal - a texture in which glass or crystalline material fills the interspaces
between larger crystals (commonly feldspar laths).
o Intergranular texture - a variety of intersertal texture in which the interspaces are
filled with granular material.
o Myrmekite - an intergrowth of vermicular (worm-like) quartz and plagioclase
(generally oligoclase) usually replacing potash feldspar. Possibly a deuteric (late
magmatic) effect, or related to deformational recrystallization in some cases.
o Ophitic - a texture in which large crystals of augite enclose lath-shaped crystals of
plagioclase. As the amount of augite decreases and the relative amount of
plagioclase increases the former may fill only the interspaces between the latter.
Commonly used synonymously with diabasictexture.
o Perthite - an intergrowth of plagioclase (albite) and potash feldspar. In perthite
potash feldspar encloses plagioclase but in antiperthite plagioclase encloses potash
feldspar. In microcline-perthite, microcline is the host. Microperthite is a
microscopic perthite.
o Pilotaxitic - a texture in which lath-shaped microlites (commonly feldspar) make
up a felty aggregate, glass being absent or in very minor quantities. Characteristic
of some volcanicrocks.
o Poikilitic - a texture in which small crystals of one mineral are enclosed by a
much larger crystal unit. Ophitic and diabasic textures are varieties of poikilitic
texture in which plagioclase is enclosed by pyroxene.
o Trachytic texture - Subparallel feldspars formed during flow in volcanic rocks.
E. Minerals Composition (list of all minerals in igneous rock primary accessory mineral)
Physical properties description for mineral
- Color
- Crystal size
- Streak (color of fine powder of the mineral)
- Luster - metallic, vitreous, pearly, resinous (reflection of light)
- Cleavage (planes along which the mineral breaks easily)
- Habit - shape of crystal (columnar, sheet, granular)
- Crystal face characteristic - anhedral, euhedral, subhedral
- Hardness (based on Mohs hardness scale as follows:
1 talc
2 gypsum (fingernail)
3 calcite (penny)
4 fluorite
5 apatite (knife blade)
6 orthoclase (glass)
7 quartz
8 topaz
9 corundum
10 diamond
- Abundance - in percent (%) volume
E. Rock name use igneous rock classification (Travis, 1955; Huang, 1962)
Accessory minerals of igneous rock can be used for naming the rock, example: biotite granite,
horblende andesite, quartz diorite.
Huang, 1962. The classification table of igneous rock
 Potash Feldspar > 2/3 Total Feldspar Potash Feldspar 1/3 - 2/3 Total Feldspar Plagioclase Feldspar > 2/3 Total Feldspar Little or No Feldspar
Potash Feldspar > Potash Feldspar < 10% Total Feldspar
10% Total
Sodic Plagioclase Calcic Plagioclase Chiefly Ferro-
Quartz < 10% Quartz < 10% Feldspar
Essential Minerals Feldspathoid > Feldspathoid > Chiefly Pyroxene Magnesian
Quartz > 10% Feldspathoid < Quartz > 10% Feldspathoid < Feldspathoid >
10% 10% Quartz < 10% Quartz < 10% and/or Olivine Minerals and
10% 10% 10%
Quartz > 10% Quartz > 10% Feldspathoids
Feldspathoid <
Feldspathoid < 10% Pyroxene > 10%
10%
Chiefly:
Characterizing Accessory Chiefly: Hornblende, Biotite, Pyroxene, Muscovite Chiefly: Hornblende, Biotite, Pyroxene Chiefly: Hornblende, Biotite, Pyroxene (in Andesite) Chiefly: Pyroxene, Uralite, Olivine Serpentine, Iron Hornblende,
Minerals Also: Sodic Amphiboles, Aegirine, Cancrinite, Sodalite, Also: Sodic Amphiboles, Aegirine Also: Pyroxene, Feldspathoid, Sodic Amphiboles Also: Hornblende, Biotite, Quartz, Analcite, Aegirine, Also: Hornblende, Biotite, Iron Ore Special Types
Tourmaline Sodic Amphiboles Biotite
Color Index 10 15 20 20 25 30 20 20 25 50 60 95 55
SiO2 71.5 60.4 56.0 66.8 57.0 54.1 65.3 61.6 58.2 48.6 47.4 41.1 42.0
Al2O3 14.0 17.0 19.2 15.8 17.1 21.0 16.1 16.2 17.0 16.8 15.4 4.8 17.9
Fe2O3 1.5 2.7 2.9 2.3 3.4 1.8 2.1 2.5 3.2 4.8 4.9 4.0 5.7
Average Chemical FeO 1.4 2.9 1.6 1.3 3.6 3.3 2.3 3.8 3.7 6.0 5.4 7.1 5.7
Composition (DALY) MgO 0.6 1.8 0.6 1.0 2.3 1.1 1.7 2.8 3.5 5.1 5.0 32.2 3.4
CaO 1.6 3.7 2.0 2.8 5.4 3.2 3.9 5.4 6.3 8.9 9.7 4.4 10.3
Na2O 3.4 4.2 8.5 3.7 4.7 6.2 3.8 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.8 0.5 8.0
K2O 4.3 5.1 5.3 4.2 3.7 5.9 2.7 2.1 2.1 1.9 3.5 1.0 2.4
Nepheline MISSOURITE:
Peridotite
Granite Syenite Syenite Gabbro pyroxene, Pegmatite:
ALASKITE: QUARTZ SYENITE: LEUCITE SYENITE: GABBRO: PERIDOTITE: olivine, and phanerocrystallin
few dark minerals a little quartz pseudoleucite with e, normally silicic,
clinopyroxene and
only feldspathoid clinopyroxene dike rock (or
olivine IJOLITE: pyroxene
Theralite small irregular
and nepheline
GRAPHIC SODALITE (ESSEXITE, mass) having a
HARZBURGITE:
GRANITE: ALKALI SYENITE: SYENITE: NORITE: NEPHELINE conspicuously
Graphic texture no plagioclase sodalite only with GABBRO) orthopyroxene
Equigranular except albite feldspathoid orthopyroxene and olivine FERGUSITE: Aplite:
Batholiths, TESCHENITE: pyroxene and phanerocrystallin
OLIVINE GABBRO:
lopoliths, stocks, analcite only PICRITE: pseudoleucite e rock having
with olivine
large laccoliths, thick ALKALI GRANITE: PULASKITE: FOYAITE: Quartz feldspathoid sugary (fine-
Nepheline Quartz Diorite
Phaneritic dikes, and sills abundant albite a little nepheline abundant Monzonite Monzonite Granodiorite Diorite TROCTOLITE: pyroxene and UNCOMPAHGRITE grained
Monzonite (TONALITE)
and sodic feldspar (ADAMELLITE) olivine and OLIVINE olivine with some (MELILITE allotriomorphic-
amphibole or plagioclase only Diabase THERALITE: plagioclase PYROXENITE): granular) texture
pyroxene NORDMARKITE: MALIGNITE: (Dolerite of with olivine DUNITE: pyroxene and
a little quartz abundant FeMg ANORTHOSITE: British) Phaneritic melilite
olivine only
CHARNOCKITE: minerals plagioclase only diabasic texture, Lamprophyre:
with QUARTZ GABBRO: normally medium dark dike rock
PYROXENITE:
orthopyroxene LARVIKITE: DITROITE: with quartz or fine grained with exclusive
with "blue" with nepheline FeMg
pyroxene only
LUXULLIANITE: feldspar and sodalite phenocrysts
tourmalinized SERPENTINE and/or euhedral
SHONKINITE: (SERPENTINITE): FeMg minerals in
abundant FeMg ground mass
chiefly serpentine
minerals
Phaneritic Peridotite
Groundmass porphyry
Quartz Nepheline
Laccoliths, dikes, Nepheline Monzonite Granodiorite Quartz Diorite Theralite KIMBERLITE:
Granite Porphyry Syenite Porphyry Monzonite Monzonite Diorite Porphyry Gabbro Porphyry
sills, plugs, small Syenite Porphyry Porphyry Porphyry Porphyry Porphyry peridotite
Porphyry Porphyry
Porphyritic stocks, margins of porphyry or
larger masses breccia
Aphanitic Trap: dark-
Trachyte Phonolite Quartz Latite Nepheline Latite Andesite Tephrite Limburgite
Groundmass Rhyolite Porphyry Latite Porphyry Dacite Porphyry Basalt Porphyry colored aphanitic
Porphyry Porphyry Porphyry Porphyry Porphyry Porphyry porphyry
Dikes, sills, rock Felsite: light-
 Potash Feldspar > 2/3 Total Feldspar Potash Feldspar 1/3 - 2/3 Total Feldspar Plagioclase Feldspar > 2/3 Total Feldspar Little or No Feldspar
Potash Feldspar > Potash Feldspar < 10% Total Feldspar
10% Total
Sodic Plagioclase Calcic Plagioclase Chiefly Ferro-
Quartz < 10% Quartz < 10% Feldspar
Essential Minerals Feldspathoid > Feldspathoid > Chiefly Pyroxene Magnesian
Quartz > 10% Feldspathoid < Quartz > 10% Feldspathoid < Feldspathoid >
10% 10% Quartz < 10% Quartz < 10% and/or Olivine Minerals and
10% 10% 10%
Quartz > 10% Quartz > 10% Feldspathoids
Feldspathoid <
Feldspathoid < 10% Pyroxene > 10%
10%
Chiefly:
Characterizing Accessory Chiefly: Hornblende, Biotite, Pyroxene, Muscovite Chiefly: Hornblende, Biotite, Pyroxene Chiefly: Hornblende, Biotite, Pyroxene (in Andesite) Chiefly: Pyroxene, Uralite, Olivine Serpentine, Iron Hornblende,
Minerals Also: Sodic Amphiboles, Aegirine, Cancrinite, Sodalite, Also: Sodic Amphiboles, Aegirine Also: Pyroxene, Feldspathoid, Sodic Amphiboles Also: Hornblende, Biotite, Quartz, Analcite, Aegirine, Also: Hornblende, Biotite, Iron Ore Special Types
Tourmaline Sodic Amphiboles Biotite
Color Index 10 15 20 20 25 30 20 20 25 50 60 95 55
SiO2 71.5 60.4 56.0 66.8 57.0 54.1 65.3 61.6 58.2 48.6 47.4 41.1 42.0
Al2O3 14.0 17.0 19.2 15.8 17.1 21.0 16.1 16.2 17.0 16.8 15.4 4.8 17.9
Fe2O3 1.5 2.7 2.9 2.3 3.4 1.8 2.1 2.5 3.2 4.8 4.9 4.0 5.7
Average Chemical FeO 1.4 2.9 1.6 1.3 3.6 3.3 2.3 3.8 3.7 6.0 5.4 7.1 5.7
Composition (DALY) MgO 0.6 1.8 0.6 1.0 2.3 1.1 1.7 2.8 3.5 5.1 5.0 32.2 3.4
CaO 1.6 3.7 2.0 2.8 5.4 3.2 3.9 5.4 6.3 8.9 9.7 4.4 10.3
Na2O 3.4 4.2 8.5 3.7 4.7 6.2 3.8 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.8 0.5 8.0
K2O 4.3 5.1 5.3 4.2 3.7 5.9 2.7 2.1 2.1 1.9 3.5 1.0 2.4
NEPHELINITE:
Phonolite Basalt pyroxene and
nepheline

LEUCITE
Tephrite
PHONOLITE: LEUCITITE:
OLIVINE BASALT:
(Leucite trachyte) pyroxene and
with olivine
leucite only leucite
feldspathoid
Trap: dark-
TINGUAITE: ANALCITE LEUCITE MELILITITE:
colored aphanitic
abundant BASALT: with TEPHRITE: leucite pyroxene and
Rhyolite Trachyte Nepheline Latite Dacite Andesite Limburgite rock Felsite: light-
aegirine analcite only feldspathoid melilite
Microcrystalline Quartz Latite Latite colored aphanitic
Dikes, sills, surface (DELLENITE) (TRACHY- OLIVINE rock
Aphanitic flows, margins of ANDESITE) NEPHELINITE
larger masses, WYOMINGITE: (NEPHELINE
QUARTZ BASALT: BASANITE: with
welded tuffs leucite and BASALT):
with quartz olivine
phlogopite pyroxene,
nepheline, and
olivine. ETC.
LEUCITE
OCEANITE: with
BASANITE: with
abundant olivine

Glassy Normally it is not possible to determine the composition of these rocks. They are customarily designated by the
Surface flows, names at the left of this column. Basic glass is rare so rocks named, except scoria, will normally be silicic. If the
margins of dikes and approximate composition (by close association) or silica content (by refractive index or analysis), can be
sills, welded tuffs Obsidian: black Pitchstone: resinous Vitrophyre: porphyritic Perlite: concentric fractures Pumice: finely cellular, light colored Scoria: coarsely cellular, dark colored
determined, the name may be prefixed by the name of the appropriate aphanitic rock, for example, "trachyte
obsidian," or "latite vitrophyre." In general, scoria is basic; basic obsidian is called "tachylite"; and spherulitic
tachylite is "variolite."

By Russel B. Travis, Quarterly of the Colorado School of Mines, vol. 50, no. 1
SAMPLE NUMBER/CODE : IGN032
ROCK TYPE : FELSIC IGNEOUS ROCK
ROCK DESCRIPTION
Colour : white grey Crystal size : medium to coarse grained (2-7 mm) Texture based
from crystal size : phanerophorphyritic Texture based from crystallinity : holocrystalline
Texture based from crystal connection : hypidiomorphic granular. Composition : orhoclase
(phenocryst), quartz, plagioclase, hornblende, magnetite (ground mass).

MINERALOGY DESCRIPTION
- Orthoclase : Colour : pinkish white Crystall size : 5-7 mm Streak : white Lustre :
vitreous Cleavage : 2, distinc Habit : blocky, columnar Crystal face : subhedral
Abundance : 50%
- Quartz : Colour : colorless Crystall size : 2-4 mm Streak : white Lustre : vitreous
Cleavage : indistinc Habit : granular Crystal face : anhedral Abundance : 20%
- Plagioclase : Colour : white Crystall size : 2-4 mm Streak : white Lustre : vitreous
Cleavage : 1 Habit : short prismatic Crystal face : subhedral Abundance : 10%
- Horblende : Colour : black Crystall size : 3-5 mm Streak : black Lustre : vitreous
Cleavage : 2 Habit : columnar Crystal face : subhedral Abundance : 15%
- Magnetite : Colour : black Crystall size : 2 mm Lustre : submetal Cleavage :
indistinc Habit : granular Crystal face : euhedral Abundance : 5%

ROCK NAME : Hornblende Granite Porhyry

SEDIMENTARY TEXTURE
1. Grain size

2. Sorting
3. Shape

4. Roundness
5. Fabric (Grain supported, matrix supported)
SEDIMENTARY STRUCTURE
SILISICLASTIC COMPONENET
CLASTIC SEDIMENTARY ROCK CLASSIFICATION
CARBONATE ROCK CLASSIFICATION
Folk based classification
CARBONATE ROCK GRAIN

The interpretation of the depositional

setting of carbonates is based on grain
types, grain packing or fabric, sedimentary
structures, and early diagenetic changes.
 METAMORPHIC ROCK DESCRIPTION

A. METAMORPHIC ROCK TYPE : Foliated/ Nonfoliated metamorphic rock

B. ROCK COLOUR
C. CRYSTAL SIZE
- very fine-grained : < 0,1 mm
- fine-grained : 0,1-1 mm
- medium-grained : 1-5 mm
- coarse-grained : 5-10 mm
- very-coarse grained : > 10 mm
D. Texture of metamorphic rocks
- Texture based from crystal face
o Idioblastic : if the mineral grain is euhedral
o Hypidioblastic : if the grain is subhedral
o Xenoblastic : if the grain is anhedral
- Texture based from mineral endurance with metamorphic processes
o Crystalloblastic texture : no texture from the original rock can be identified.
o Relict texture : texture inherited from the original rock type, and which have
survived metamorphism.
- Metamorphic texture based from shape of mineral
A. Granoblastic texture
1. Isogranular
2. Polygonal, mozaic (numerous triple junction)
3. Heterogranular
B. Mineral constituents habits
4. Lepidoblastic: sheet mineral
5. Nematoblastic: needle-like or elongated prismatic minerals.
6. Porphyroblastic: numerous poikiloblasts with helicitic inclusions. Poikiloblast: large
crystal contain numerous, irregularly scattered inclusions but still preserve their
idiomorphic shape.
7. (1), (2), or (3) + (4): grano-lepidoblastic
8. (1), (2), or (3) + (5): grano-nematoblastic
9. (1), (2), or (3) + (6): grano-porphyroblastic
10. Sheaf texture
11. Rosette texture
C. Spherical or spheroidal minerals
12. Nodular texture
13. Vermicular texture: symplectite or lobed minerals
14. Reaction corona
15. Augen texture
- Typical textures of contact metamorphism.
- Classification of tectonite textures
o Rock without foliation
1. Cataclastic texture: max 30% of clasts inferior in size to 0.2 mm.
2. Protoclastic texture: igneous rocks displaying broken, deformed or granular minerals
included within the last crystals to have crystallized in magma
o Foliated rock (mylonite)
1. Protomylonitic texture: 50-95% clasts included in a finely grained matrix (mortar or
small recrystallized crystals; ribbon quartz is found frequently)
2. Augen mylonitic: 10-50% lens-shaped mono or polycrystalline porphyroclasts larger than
0.2 mm.
3. Ultramylonitic texture: 0-10% porphyroclasts smaller than 0.2 mm included in and
molded by a finely grained, foliated or banded granoblastic matrix.
4. Blastomylonitic texture: 5-30% more or less recrytallized porphyroclasts moulded by a
granoblastic matrix of recrytallized synkinematic and/or new minerals.
D. STRUCTURE OF METHAMORPHIC ROCK
- Slaty cleavage : a pervasive, parallel foliation (layering) of fine-grained (microscopic)
platy minerals (chlorite) in a direction perpendicular to the direction of maximum stress.
- Phylitic : formed by the parallel arrangement of platy minerals, usually micas, that are
barely macroscopic (visible to the naked eye). The parallelism is often silky, or
crenulated. The predominance of micaceous minerals imparts a sheen to the hand
specimens.
- Schistosic : the layering in a coarse grained, crystalline rock due to the parallel
arrangement of platy mineral grains such as muscovite and biotite. Other minerals
present are typically quartz and feldspar, plus a variety of other minerals such as garnet,
staurolite, kyanite, sillimanite.
- Gneissic: The layering in a rock in which bands or lenses of granular minerals (quartz
and feldspar) alternate with bands or lenses in which platy (mica) or elongate
(amphibole) minerals predominate.
- Migmatic : A rock in which metamorphic textures (schistosity or mineral banding) are
intermixed with igneous textures.
E. MINERALS COMPOSITION
Physical properties description for mineral
- Color
- Crystal size
- Streak (color of fine powder of the mineral)
- Luster - metallic, vitreous, pearly, resinous (reflection of light)
- Cleavage (planes along which the mineral breaks easily)
- Habit - shape of crystal (columnar, sheet, granular)
- Crystal face characteristic - anhedral, euhedral, subhedral
- Hardness (based on Mohs hardness scale as follows:
1 talc
2 gypsum (fingernail)
3 calcite (penny)
4 fluorite
5 apatite (knife blade)
6 orthoclase (glass)
7 quartz
8 topaz
9 corundum
10 diamond
- Abundance - in percent (%) volume
F. ROCK NAME
To determiner metamorphic rock name use the texture, structure, and composition of the
metamorphic rock. Some metamorphic rock classification can help.
SAMPLE NUMBER/CODE : MET018
ROCK TYPE : FOLIATED METAMORPHIC ROCK
ROCK DESCRIPTION
Colour : light grey Crystal size : medium to coarse grained (2-10 mm) General texture
: crystaloblastic Texture based from crystal size : phaneritic Texture based from crystal face
: hypidioblastic Texture based from crystal shape : nemato-lepidoblastic Composition :
garnet, muscovite, quartz.

MINERALOGY DESCRIPTION
- Garnet : Colour : dark red Crystall size : 8-10 mm Streak : pinkish white : vitreous
Cleavage : 0 Habit : granular equidimensional Crystal face : euhedral Abundance :
25%
- Quartz : Colour : colorless Crystall size : 4-6 mm Streak : white Lustre : vitreous
Cleavage : indistinc Habit : granular Crystal face : subhedral Abundance : 35%
- Muscovite : Colour : white silver Crystall size : 2-4 mm Streak : white Lustre :
vitreous-silky Cleavage : 1 Habit : lamelar Crystal face : subhedral Abundance : 40%

ROCK NAME : Garnet muscovite schist