What is rock?

The word rock refers to

the solid mass of the
lithosphere. It is a
naturally occurring solid
mixture of one or more
different minerals and
other organic matter.

Petrology – the science

that is concerned with
the study of rocks.
What are the three (3)
classifications of rocks?
Igneous rock – from a
Latin word “ignis” which
means fire.
The parent material of
igneous rock is usually
magma, a molten
material from deep
within the Earth that
cools and hardens.
Types of Igneous Rocks
1. Igneous Intrusive or
Plutonic Igneous - form
from magma that cools
and crystallizes beneath
the Earth's surface.
Examples:
a. Granite - a light-
colored igneous rock
with grains large enough
to be visible with the
unaided eye.
Granite is composed
mainly of quartz and
feldspar with minor
amounts of mica,
amphiboles, and other
minerals. This mineral
composition usually
gives granite a red, pink,
gray, or white color with
dark mineral grains
visible throughout the
rock.
b. Gabbro - a coarse-
grained, dark-colored,
intrusive igneous rock.
It is usually black or dark
green in color and
composed mainly of the
minerals plagioclase and
augite. It is the most
abundant rock in the
deep oceanic crust.

Igneous Extrusive or
Volcanic Igneous - form
at the Earth's surface.
They cool and
crystallized from magma
which has spilled out
onto the surface at a
volcano. At the surface,
the magma is more
familiarly known as lava.
Examples:
Basalt – as a mafic
silicate rock is usually
dark-colored, hard, fine-
grained and with high
specific gravity.
b. Obsidian – that is
formed from lava is also
dark-colored but glassy,
meaning it has no
crystal.
c. Scoria - a dark-colored
igneous rock with
abundant round bubble-
like cavities known as
vesicles.
Igneous rocks are
recognized by:
*the interlocking texture
of the grains
*the presence of
vesicules (holes) in
extrusive igneous rocks
*may be dark-colored
and heavy
*may display two grain
sizes, one much larger
than the other

Sedimentary rocks -
form from material that
has accumulated on the
Earth's surface.
*The general term for
the process of
accumulation is
deposition. The material
consists of the products
of weathering and
erosion, and other
materials available at the
surface of the Earth,
such as organic material.
*The process by which
this otherwise
unconsolidated material
becomes solidified into
rock is variously referred
to lithification (literally
turned into rock),
diagenesis or
cementation.

Three Main Types of

Sedimentary Rocks:
Clastic sedimentary
rocks – derived from
mechanical weathering.
*Weathering is the
breakdown of rocks into
smaller ones.
Chemical sedimentary
rocks – form when
dissolved materials
precipitate.
*Precipitation is the
process of separating a
solid substance from a
liquid.

Organic sedimentary
rocks – formed by the
accumulated
sedimentary debris
caused by organic
processes. These may
contain fossils of plants
and animals trapped in
the sediments as the
rock was formed.

Examples of Sedimentary
Rocks:
a. 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.
Sandstone is a
sedimentary rock
composed of sand-size
grains of mineral, rock,
or organic material.
Shale - a fine-grained
sedimentary rock that
forms from the
compaction of silt and
clay-size mineral
particles that we
commonly call "mud."
Sedimentary rocks are
recognized by:
*grains cemented
together
*the presence of fossils
*light-colored and light
weight
*may display
interlocking grains but is
very light weight
Metamorphic rocks –
from the words “meta”
(change) and “morph”
(form).
It is form when a
sedimentary or igneous
rock is exposed to high
pressure, high
temperature, or both,
deep below the surface
of the Earth.
* Metamorphism is a
process that produces
fundamental changes in
the mineralogy and
texture of the rock.
*Protolith - original rock,
prior to metamorphism.

Types of Metamorphic
Rocks:
Foliated metamorphic
rocks - have a layered or
banded appearance that
is produced by exposure
to heat and directed
pressure.
Examples:
Gneiss – derived from
conglomerate. It often
contains feldspar or
quartz.
Slate – derived from
shale. It is a fine-grained
rock.

c. Schist - made up of
plate-shaped mineral
grains that are large
enough to see with an
unaided eye.

Non-foliated
metamorphic rocks- do
not have a layered or
banded appearance.
Examples:
Marble – derived from
limestone. It is a hard
crystalline rock and is
considered as the most
beautiful rock because of
its shimmering luster.
Quartzite – derived from
sandstone. It is very hard
and durable.
Metamorphic rocks are
recognized by:
*the interlocking texture
of large grains
*foliation (layering)
*banded light and dark
colors
*"ching" sound instead
of a "chunk" sound when
tapped
What is a rock cycle?
Rock cycle – summarizes
the transformational
processes that change
rocks from one kind to
another.