Rocks and Its Types

ROCKS AND ITS TYPES
ROCKS
The earth’s crust is composed of rocks. A rock is an aggregate of one or more minerals. Rock may be
hard or soft and in varied colours. For example, granite is hard, soapstone is soft. Gabbro is black
and quartzite can be milky white. Rocks do not have definite composition of mineral constituents.
Feldspar and quartz are the most common minerals found in rocks.
As there is a close relation between rocks and landforms, rocks and soils, a geographer requires
basic knowledge of rocks. There are many different kinds of rocks which are grouped under three
families on the basis of their mode of formation. They are: (i) Igneous Rocks — solidified from
magma and lava; (ii) Sedimentary Rocks — the result of deposition of fragments of rocks by
exogenous processes; (iii) Metamorphic Rocks — formed out of existing rocks undergoing
recrystallisation.
Igneous Rocks
As igneous rocks form out of magma and lava from the interior of the earth, they are known as
primary rocks. The igneous rocks (Ignis – in Latin means ‘Fire’) are formed when magma cools and
solidifies. You already know what magma is. When magma in its upward movement cools and turns
into solid form it is called igneous rock. The process of cooling and solidification can happen in the
earth’s crust or on the surface of the earth. Igneous rocks are classified based on texture. Texture
depends upon size and arrangement of grains or other physical conditions of the materials. If molten
material is cooled slowly at great depths, mineral grains may be very large. Sudden cooling (at the
surface) results in small and smooth grains. Intermediate conditions of cooling would result in
intermediate sizes of grains making up igneous rocks. Granite, gabbro, pegmatite, basalt, volcanic
breccia and tuff are some of the examples of igneous rocks.
Extrusive Igneous Rocks:
Extrusive igneous rocks are formed from lava that erupts onto the Earth's surface. They cool and
solidify quickly, which typically results in fine-grained textures.
Example: Basalt, andresite, etc.
Intrusive Igneous Rocks: Intrusive igneous rocks form beneath the Earth's surface as magma cools
and solidifies slowly. These rocks have larger crystals due to the slower cooling process.
Example: Granite, gabbro, etc.
Sedimentary Rocks
The word ‘sedimentary’ is derived from the Latin word sedimentum, which means settling. Rocks
(igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic) of the earth’s surface are exposed to denudational agents,
and are broken up into various sizes of fragments. Such fragments are transported by different
exogenous agencies and deposited. These deposits through compaction turn into rocks. This process
is called lithification. In many sedimentary rocks, the layers of deposits retain their characteristics
even after lithification. Hence, we see a number of layers of varying thickness in sedimentary rocks
like sandstone, shale etc. Depending upon the mode of formation, sedimentary rocks are classified
into three major groups: (i) mechanically formed — sandstone, conglomerate, limestone, shale,
loess etc. are examples; (ii) organically formed — geyserite, chalk, limestone, coal etc. are some
examples; (iii) chemically formed — chert, limestone, halite, potash etc. are some examples.
Metamorphic Rocks
The word metamorphic means ‘change of form’. These rocks form under the action of pressure,
volume and temperature (PVT) changes. Metamorphism occurs when rocks are forced down to
lower levels by tectonic processes or when molten magma rising through the crust comes in contact
with the crustal rocks or the underlying rocks are subjected to great amounts of pressure by
overlying rocks. Metamorphism is a process by which already consolidated rocks undergo
recrystallisation and reorganisation of materials within original rocks. Mechanical disruption and
reorganisation of the original minerals within rocks due to breaking and crushing without any
appreciable chemical changes is called dynamic metamorphism. The materials of rocks chemically
alter and recrystallise due to thermal metamorphism. There are two types of thermal
metamorphism — contact metamorphism and regional metamorphism. In contact metamorphism
the rocks come in contact with hot intruding magma and lava and the rock materials recrystallise
under high temperatures. Quite often new materials form out of magma or lava are added to the
rocks. In regional metamorphism, rocks undergo recrystallisation due to deformation caused by
tectonic shearing together with high temperature or pressure or both. In the process of
metamorphism in some rocks grains or minerals get arranged in layers or lines. Such an arrangement
of minerals or grains in metamorphic rocks is called foliation or lineation. Sometimes minerals or
materials of different groups are arranged into alternating thin to thick layers appearing in light and
dark shades. Such a structure in metamorphic rocks is called banding and rocks displaying banding
are called banded rocks. Types of metamorphic rocks depend upon original rocks that were
subjected to metamorphism. Metamorphic rocks are classified into two major groups — foliated
rocks and non-foliated rocks. Gneissoid, granite, syenite, slate, schist, marble, quartzite etc. are
some examples of metamorphic rocks.
ROCK CYCLE
Rocks do not remain in their original form for long but may undergo transformation. Rock cycle is a
continuous process through which old rocks are transformed into new ones. Igneous rocks are
primary rocks and other rocks (sedimentary and metamorphic) form from these primary rocks.
Igneous rocks can be changed into metamorphic rocks. The fragments derived out of igneous and
metamorphic rocks form into sedimentary
rocks. Sedimentary rocks themselves can turn into fragments and the fragments can be a source for
formation of sedimentary rocks. The crustal rocks (igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary) once
formed may be carried down into the mantle (interior of the earth) through subduction process (parts
or whole of crustal plates going down under another plate in zones of plate convergence) and the
same melt down due to increase in temperature in the interior and turn into molten magma, the
original source for igneous rocks.

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ROCKS AND ITS TYPES

Extrusive Igneous Rocks:

Example: Basalt, andresite, etc.

Example: Granite, gabbro, etc.

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