Rock Formation
Rock Formation
Rock Formation
And
how these rocks endlessly change from one type to another
3 Rock Types
1.1
Igneous – come from the solidification of molten rock called magma. These rocks are associated with
volcanoes and form at plate boundaries, either as magma under the ground hardens or as lava flows
over the surface and cools.
Magma – may be hot as 600 to 1200c. When the heat is lost to the surroundings, the magma
solidifies and turns into an igneous rock.
Additional info: Contains Silicon, Oxygen, Aluminum, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium, and
Potassium. Also contains gases such as water vapor, Carbon Dioxide, Hyrogen sulfide and sulfur
dioxide. Is a hot fluid or semifluid material below or within the earth's crust from which lava
and other igneous rock is formed on cooling.
Formed underground, in the lower crust or in the upper mantle.
Illustration???
2 Types of Igneous Rocks
1) Plutonic Igneous Rocks – is when magma solidifies at depth, it forms igneous rocks categorized
as plutonic. From the roman God Pluto. The most abundant plutonic rock is granite.
When the molten magma solidifies below the earth’s surface it forms an intrusive rock.( causing
disruption)
Magma cools very slowly and forms rocks known as granite, diorite.
2) Volcanic Igneous Rocks – is when magma may rise and come out of a volcano, it forms igneous
rocks categorized as volcanic. From the roman god Vulcan of the hearth and forge. The most
abundant volcanic rock is Basalt
Basalt – composed of feldspar and pyroxene. (oceanic crust)
Slow Rate of Cooling – when magma solidifies within the earth, it cools down very slowly because the
rocks surrounding the magma are also hot. While magma is still in liquid form, elements can move
through magma, come together and form minerals. The more elements added the bigger the minerals
grow.
This type of igneous rock is said to have a phaneritic texture (phaneritic. [ făn′ə-rĭt′ĭk ] Of or
relating to an igneous rock in which the crystals are so coarse that individual minerals can be
distinguished with the naked eye.)
Rapid Rate of Cooling – when magma ascends to the surface of the earth it cools down rapidly because
heat is lost faster because the temp of the surface is much lower. When the magma reaches the earth’s
surface it turns solid quite fast. Similar with slow rate of cooling the more elements added the bigger the
minerals grow.
With rapid rate of cooling minerals have little time to combine to form larger minerals because it
is difficult to diffuse through rapidly solidifying lava. Because of this few or no minerals may be
formed, and the result is a rock that shines like glass called natural glass or volcanic glass. A good
example of an igneous rock that forms this way is obsidian.
This type of igneous rock will be made up of tiny minerals, which are difficult to see individually.
(often microscopic). Thus the rock is fine grained and is said to have an aphanitic texture.
1.2
Sedimentary – are rocks exposed at the surface of the earth that is ultimately affected by weathering.
> The broken rock fragments and dissolved rock material may then be consolidated and precipitated to
form sedimentary rocks.
> Sedimentary rocks are made of the weathering producs, called sediments, of preexisting rocks.
Detrital Sedimentary Rocks – are made of sediments of differing sizes. Sizes are the primary basis for
distinguishing among various detrital rocks.
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks – are rocks formed when dissolved rock materials precipitate. The
components of salt, sodium, and chlorine, were dissolved from rocks by weathering.
Limestone – the most abundant chemical sedimentary rock is limestone. It is made of the mineral calcite
a precipitated calcium carbonate.(the primary ingredient of cement)
> But more commonly calcite is precipitated by organisms that live in water such as corals, shellfish and
zooplankton which they use to build their skeletons. When they die their skeletons sink to the bottom
of the sea or lake and accumulate in layers. In time, these layers will turn into the rock limestone.
Chert – a hard, compact, fine-grained sedimentary rock formed almost entirely of silica is called chert.
> Organisms such as silicoflagellates extract dissolved silica from the water to build their skeletons.
When the organisms die their skeletal remains may accumulate to form chert
Evaporites – sedimentary rocks formed when bodies of water such as seawater or saline lakes
evaporate are called evaporates. Examples of evaporates are rock gypsum which is made of the mineral
gypsum.
1.3
Metamorphic – when a rock is subjected to tremendous heat, great pressure and intense chemical
reactions or some combination of the three, and does not melt but instead becomes a distinctly new
rock called a metamorphic rock. Process is called metamorphism.
Foliated Metamorphic Rocks – said to be foliated if it shows a layered or banded appearance due to
parallel alignment of elongated or platy minerals.
Phyllite – the minerals in phyllite are bigger than those in slate. Because of the increase size of minerals,
phyllite appears glossy or shiny compared to slate.
Schist – exhibits obvious foliation, they readily break into flakes or slabs and are made chiefly of platy
elongated minerals.
Gneiss – the foliation in gneiss is striking. Light- colored minerals segregate from dark ones, forming light
and dark layers alternating with one another. Light layers are made up of quartz and feldspars while
dark layers are made of ferromagnesian minerals.
Non Foliated Metamorphic Rocks – do not exhibit foliation because they are commonly made of
minerals which are neither platy nor elongated.
Marble – is a metamorphic rock whose parent rock is limestone. Made up of interlocking calcite crystals
that appear granular, like salt or sugar grains. Marble is popular for building and decorative purposes.
Also a favorite carving stone among sculptors.
Quartzite – is made primarily of the mineral quartz whose parent rock is quartz-rich sandstone. During
metamorphism the quartz grains fuse or merge into a very hard metamorphic rock. Quartzite can be
distinguished from quartz sandstone by the way the rock breaks. Quartzite breaks across quartz grains
while sandstone breaks between quartz grains.
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism – occurs when rocks are heated by very hot materials, such as magma
or lava or cooling plutonic bodies. is the process by which the country rock that surrounds a hot
magma intrusion is metamorphosed by the high heat flow coming from the intrusion. The zone
of metamorphism that surrounds the intrusion is called the halo (or aureole) and rarely extends
more than 100 meters into the country rock.
Regional Metamorphism – type of metamorphism which occurs over a wide area is called
regional metamorphism.
Associated with mountain building processes
Principal agents are heat and pressure
Metamorphism related to fault zones – some metamorphic rocks are formed along fault zones.
At the surface of the earth fault movements lead to grinding, crushing and pulverizing of rocks.
Agents of Metamorphism
Heat – as magma rises from within the earth, rocks that are encountered along the way are
metamorphosed by heat coming from the magma.
Pressure – rocks that are formed at the surface of the earth and later buried deeply will be
affected by the increasing pressure.
Chemically Active fluids – water helps metamorphism by moving ions from place to place. The
ions react with a rock’s components to produce new rock.
1.4 Rock Cycle (tong part na to explanation nalang siguro kase madali langz)