Igneous Rock Classification

(Chapter
(C 2)
Igneous (or Igneous-
Igneous-looking) Rock
Classifications Adopted
LeMaitre, R.W. (2002) Igneous Rocks:
Cl ifi i and
Classification d Gl Terms, 2ndd
Glossary off T
Edition. Cambridge University Press, 236 p.
• Summary of 30 years of deliberations of the
International Union of Geological Sciences
(IUGS) Subcommission of Igneous Rocks
• Th accepted
The t d standard,
t d d b butt nott perfect
f t

Gillespie, M.R. and Styles, M.T. (1999) BGS

R k Cl
Rock Classification
ifi i Scheme:
S h V
Volume
l 11.
Classification of Igneous Rocks. BGS
Research Report 99-06
• BGS classification (based largely on IUGS), but
with some useful differences
 Goals of Classification
Scheme for rock classification should be:
• Practical and logical
• Systematic – easy for information retrieval
• Hierarchical – based on experience
p of user or level of
information about rock
• Based on descriptive attributes - with a minimum
of genetic terms
• Named adequately using a relatively small
number of root names (e.g. granite) - with or
without qualifier terms (e.g. muscovite
muscovite-biotite
biotite granite).
• Unambiguous - with precisely defined rock names
 Low-level hierarchical approach for
Low-
classification
l ifi ti off igneous
i material
t i l (BGS)
 Main discriminatingg factors used
in igneous classification
• Mineral grain size, or fragment size and textural
characteristics

• Modal amounts (volume %) of minerals

• Chemical characteristics

There are a tremendous number of names for igneous

rocks, but there are fortunately much fewer that are
common.
 Textural criteria is considered first - broad
genetic implications

• Fragmental - rock
composed of disaggregated
igneous material, deposited
and later amalgamated.

• Genetic implication is that it

erupted at surface, became
Agglomerate
gg - consolidated py
pyroclastic deposit
p
disaggregated and rapidly
composed of volcanic bombs and subangular deposited from air or water
fragments in a tuff matrix.
to form a rock = pyroclastic
http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndm/mines/resgeol
http://www mndm gov on ca/mndm/mines/resgeol rock
/northwest/kenora/Guide/kenoraguide_e.asp
Textural criteria is considered first - broad
genetic implications
• Phaneritic - crystals that compose
rock are readily visible with naked
eye
• Genetic implication is that it cooled at
depth and crystallized slowly =
Gabbro (image source: Darrell Henry) plutonic or intrusive rock

• Aphanitic - crystals, if any, are too

small to be readily visible with
naked eye
• Genetic implication
p is that it cooled at
surface and crystallized rapidly =
Basalt (image source: Darrell Henry)
volcanic or extrusive rock
 Mineralogical parameters
• Modal amounts (volume %) of minerals
• Point counts or visual estimates of mineral content
• Primary modal classification parameters
• Q=q quartz,, tridymite,
y , cristobalite
• A = alkali feldspar i.e. orthoclase, microcline, perthite,
anorthoclase, sanidine, and albite (An0-An5)
• P = plagioclase
l i l A 100) and
(A 5-An
(An d scapolite
lit
• F = feldspathoids i.e. nepheline, leucite, kalsilite, analcime,
sodalite, nosean, hauyne, cancrinite, pseudo
pseudo-leucite
leucite
• M = mafic minerals e.g. mica, amphibole, pyroxene, olivine,
opaque minerals, accessory minerals, epidote, allanite, garnet,
melilite,
lili monticellite,
i lli primary
i carbonate
b
• M’ = M – (muscovite + apatite + primary carbonate)
Chemical parameters
• Used when modal
mineral parameters are
unavailable

• R
Reported
t d iin weight%
i ht%
oxide

or

• Calculated as normative
values of mineral content
i.e. CIPW norm
BGS procedure for starting to determine an
igneous (sedimentary) name
 Clast--size designations - pyroclasts
Clast

bomb lapillus

ash
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/
Volcaniclastic classification – variable sizes
Volcaniclastic classification – ash sized

vitric tuff,
tuff Hawaii

http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/explosivepast/
BGS procedure for starting to determine an
igneous (sedimentary) name
BGS procedure for classifying ‘exotic’
igneous rocks
BGS procedure for starting to determine an
igneous (sedimentary) name
 Qualifiers to a root name
• Mineral name(s) qualifier
• Multiple minerals should be ordered with increasing amounts
closest
l t to
t roott e.g. muscovite-biotite
i bi i granite
i
• Mineral qualifier should be consistent with implied
mineralogy of root name: e.g.
e g not quartz granite
• Mineral qualifier “-bearing” is commonly 5 or 10% threshold
– must be defined – e.g.
g tourmaline-bearingg ggranite
• Volcanic glass qualifiers
• 50-80% gglass = glassy
g y
• 20-50% glass = glass-rich
• 0-20% glass = glass-bearing
• TAS-named volcanic rock with glass prefixed by “hyalo-”
hyalo- e.g.
eg
hyalo-andesite
• Note: if >80% glass = obsidian, pitchstone, etc.
 Qualifiers to a root name
• Textural term(s) qualifier – e.g. porphyritic granite
• Finer-than-normal ggrain-size = micro- e.g.
g micro-granite
g
(exceptions: diabase or dolerite = micro-gabbro)
• Color index (M’ = M – (muscovite + apatite + primary carbonate))
• M’ = 0-10 = hololeucocratic
• M’ = 10-35% = leucocratic
• M’ = 35-65%
% = mesocratic
• M’ = 65-90% = melnocratic
• M’ = 90-100% = holomelanocratic
• Note: some QAPF plutonic rocks require and “leuco
leuco-” or “mela
mela-”
qualifier
• Chemical term(s) qualifier – e.g. Sr-rich granite (define term)
• Genetic term(s) qualifier – e.g. anatectic granite
• Tectonic term(s) qualifier – e.g. post-deformational granite
Plutonic (coarse-
(coarse-grained) igneous rocks
QAPF classification
(M<90%)

• Q (or F), A and P

normalized to 100%

• An easier method of
plotting:
Q with plagioclase ratio
i (100*P/(A+P))
i.e.

• Some fields require

q
further consideration
Plutonic (coarse-
(coarse-grained) igneous rocks
Plutonic (coarse-
(coarse-grained) igneous rocks
Field 2 (alkali feldspar
granite)
• If sodic amphiboles or
pyroxenes are present, use
“peralkaline
peralkaline granite
granite”
If M’<10%, use “alaskite”

Field 6 (alkali feldspar

foid-bearing syenite)
If rich in complex Zr and Ti
minerals (e.g. eudialyte),
use “agpaite”
“ i ”
Plutonic (coarse-
(coarse-grained) igneous rocks
Field 11 (foid syenite)
• Named for most abundant
foid mineral e.g. “nepheline
syenite”

Field 13 (foid monzodiorite

or foid monzogabbro)
• Use the most common foid
• If plagioclase = An0-50, use
“foid monzodiorite”.
monzodiorite”
• If plagioclase = An50-100, use
foid monzogabbro
“foid monzogabbro”.
Plutonic (coarse-
(coarse-grained) igneous rocks
Field 5 (tonalite)
• If M’<10%, use
“trondhjemite” or
“plagiogranite”

Field 9 (monzodiorite,
monzogabbro)
• If plagioclase = An0-50, use
“monzodiorite”.
• If plagioclase = An50-100, use
“monzogabbro”.
Plutonic (coarse-
(coarse-grained) igneous rocks
Field 14 (foid diorite, foid
gabbro)
• Use the most common foid
• If plagioclase = An0-50, use
“f id di
“foid diorite”.
it ”
• If plagioclase = An50-100, use
foid gabbro
“foid gabbro”.

Field 15 (foidolite)
• Use the dominant foid as
the basis for a name e.g.
nephelinolite
“nephelinolite”
Plutonic (coarse-
(coarse-grained) igneous rocks
Field 10 (diorite, gabbro,
anorthosite)
• If M<10%, use anorthosite.
• If M>10% and plagioclase
= An
A 0-50, use “diorite”.
“di it ”
• If M>10% and plagioclase
= An50-100, use “gabbro”
gabbro .

• “Gabbros” are further

subdivided
bdi id d andd additional
ddi i l
diagrams must be used
Plutonic (coarse-
(coarse-grained) igneous rocks
Gabbroic rock subdivision

• Based on relative abundance

of plag, opx, cpx, ol, hbl
Plutonic (coarse-
(coarse-grained) igneous rocks
Leuco and Mela-
Leuco- Mela subdivisions
Plutonic (coarse-
(coarse-grained) igneous rocks
QAPF classification
(M>90%)
Volcanic (fine-
(fine-grained) igneous rocks
Volcanic (fine-
(fine-grained) igneous rocks
Fi ld 2 (alkali
Field ( lk li feldspar
f ld
rhyolite)
•If sodic amphiboles or
pyroxenes are present, use
“peralkaline rhyolite”

Field 6 (trachyte)
•If
If sodic amphiboles or
pyroxenes are present, use
“peralkaline trachyte”

Field 11 (phonolite)
• Modify root name by
dominant foid
Volcanic (fine-
(fine-grained) igneous rocks

Field 9,10 (basalt, andesite)

• Color index > 35% for basalt
and <35% for andesite
• Likely
Lik l to
t needd TAS

Field 13, 14, 15 (phonolitic

basanite or phonolitic
tephrite)
• If normative ol>10%,
ol>10% use
“phonolitic basanite”
• If normative ol<10%, use
“phonolitic tephrite”
 TAS chemical classification
R
Requirements
i t ffor use:
• must be volcanic rock
g
• mode cannot be determined (too fine-grained or gglassy)
y
• a bulk analysis is available

Unusual high-
Mg volcanic
rocks are
considered first
TAS chemical classification

More normal
volcanic rocks
• analyses should be
normalized to 100%
• Some fields require
CIPW norm
• Alkali basalt is ne-
normative, but subalkali
basalt is not

• a good practice is to
add (TAS) to the term
e.g. andesite (TAS)
TAS chemical classification
Subdivision of K-
types of rhyolites to
basalts

Subdivision of
rhyolites and
trachytes
Field classification of QAPF igneous rocks