Petro 1

Petrology
What is “petrology”?
• The branch of geology that studies the
• origin,
• composition,
• distribution,
• structure
of rocks.
What are rocks?
• a naturally occurring solid aggregate of one or
more minerals or mineraloids.
• rocks composed of one mineral- Monomineralic

rocks
Ex: quartzite
• rocks formed from many minerals- Polymineralic
rocks
Ex: granite
Types of rocks
• Three types,
1. Igneous
2. Sedimentary
3. metamorphic
• Based on the method of formation

Igneous
- Formed from cooling magma/ lava
Sedimentary
-formed by the accumulation of sediments
Metamorphic
- formed by physical or chemical alteration of an
existing igneous or sedimentary material by heat
and pressure
Igneous rocks
• Two types,
• based on the environment it forms,

1. Intrusive/ Plutonic
2. Extrusive/ volcanic
• Magmas are less dense than surrounding rocks,
thus move upward.
• If magma makes it to the surface (Lava)it will

erupt and later crystallize to form an extrusive or
volcanic rock.
• If it crystallizes before it reaches the surface it will

form an igneous rock at depth called a plutonic or
intrusive igneous rock.
Lava
Magma
Magma/ Lava
• Usually a silicate melt (liquid)
• At high temperatures (650 to 1200°C)
• Three types of magma

1. Basaltic or gabbroic - 1000-1200oC
2. Andesitic or dioritic - 800-1000oC
3. Rhyolitic or granitic - 650-800oC.
Igneous textures
• The texture is determined based on
1. Degree of crystallinity,
2. Shape of grains,
3. Size of grains.
Degree of crystallinity
1. Holocrystalline – formed entirely of crystals
2. Holohyaline – formed entirely of glass alone
3. Hypocrystalline- formed of a mixture of both
Shape of grains/ crystals
1.Euhedral
2. Subhedral
3. Anhedral
Size of grains/ crystals
• Size depends on,
1. Cooling rate
2. Nucleation rate
3. Mobility of elements
Cooling rate
• Higher cooling rate Fine grains
• Slower cooling rate Coarse grains

Texture based on grain size
1. Aphanitic texrure
• The entire rock is made up of small/fine
crystals/grains,
• are generally less than 1/2mm in size,
• cannot be observed by naked eye,
• Need magnification of around 10 X (Hand lense

or microscope).
2. Phaneritic texture
• Comprised of large crystals,
• Are clearly visible to the eye with or without a
hand lens or binocular microscope.
3. Porphyritic texture
• Develops when slow cooling is followed by

rapid cooling.
• Phenocrysts = larger crystals,

• Matrix or groundmass = smaller crystals
• Ex: Pegmatite
• is a light-colored, extremely coarse-grained
intrusive igneous rock.
• It forms near the margins of a magma chamber

during the final phases of magma chamber
crystallization
Glassy texture (volcanic textures)
• Due to rapid cooling,
• Minerals do not have a chance to crystallize,
• Rocks are non-crystalline, Meaning the rock

contains no mineral grains,
• Pure volcanic glass is known as obsidian

Pyroclastic texture
• Composed of compacted ash and rock
fragments.
Ex: Tuff
Vesicular texture
• Rocks formed from the cooling of a froth of
magma and gas
• Ex: Pumice - Light colored, low density
vesicular rock
• Ex: Scoria- Dark colored, more dense vesicular
rock.
Classification of igneous rocks
Based on,
1. Texture
2. Composition (Color index)
• Felsic
• Mafic
• Intermediate
• Ultramafic
Felsic rocks
• light colored minerals are abundant such as
quartz and Feldspar ( Non- Ferromagnesium
silicates)
Ex: Granite and Rhyolite
• Determined by composition (both chemical and

mineralogical)
Magnesium (Mg) + iron (Fe) = mafic
Feldspar + quartz (Si) = felsic
Granite
• Granite is a coarse-grained,
• light colored,
• intrusive igneous rock,
• that contains mainly quartz and feldspar
minerals.
• an abundant rock type on continents.
Mafic rocks
• Ignoes rocks composed of dark ferromagnesium
minerals such as amphibole, Olivine and
Pyroxene etc.
• Ex: Gabbro and Basalt
Gabbro
• Gabbro refers to a large group of dark, coarse-grained,
intrusive mafic igneous rock,
• chemically equivalent to basalt.
• Phaneritic Texture,
• commonly found at lower crust or mantle levels of

both oceanic and continental crust
• contains pyroxene, plagioclase, amphibole and

olivine.
Basalt
• Basalt is a fine-grained, aphanitic equivalent of
gabbro.
• Dark colored,
• extrusive igneous rock,
• composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene.
• It most commonly forms as an extrusive rock from

from a lava flow,
• but can also form in small intrusive bodies

Intermediate Rocks
• Rocks in between the two extremes.
Ex: Diorite and Andesite
• Diorite is a plutonic rock that is something

between a granite and a gabbro.
• It consists mostly of white plagioclase feldspar

and black hornblende.
• Coarse grained, Phaneritic Texture,
• It can also be black or bluish-grey, and frequently has a greenish

cast,
• It is differentiated from granite by the absence of quartz

Andesite
• is fine-grained (aphanitic to porphyritic texture)
• extrusive igneous rock composed mainly of Plagioclase
with Hornblende, Pyroxene and Biotite.
• It is commonly found along subduction zones
Ultramafic Rocks
• Composed mostly of ferromagnesium

minerals
Ex: Dunite (mostly Olivine)
Peridotite ( Olivine and pyroxene)
Dunite
• a rare rock,
• Has at least 90 percent olivine.

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Petrology

• rocks composed of one mineral- Monomineralic

• Based on the method of formation

• based on the environment it forms,

• If magma makes it to the surface (Lava)it will

• If it crystallizes before it reaches the surface it will

• At high temperatures (650 to 1200°C)

• Three types of magma

• Slower cooling rate Coarse grains

• are generally less than 1/2mm in size,

• cannot be observed by naked eye,

• Need magnification of around 10 X (Hand lense

• Develops when slow cooling is followed by

• Phenocrysts = larger crystals,

• It forms near the margins of a magma chamber

• Minerals do not have a chance to crystallize,

• Rocks are non-crystalline, Meaning the rock

• Pure volcanic glass is known as obsidian

• Determined by composition (both chemical and

• chemically equivalent to basalt.

• commonly found at lower crust or mantle levels of

• contains pyroxene, plagioclase, amphibole and

• composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene.

• It most commonly forms as an extrusive rock from

• but can also form in small intrusive bodies

• Diorite is a plutonic rock that is something

• It consists mostly of white plagioclase feldspar

• It can also be black or bluish-grey, and frequently has a greenish

• It is differentiated from granite by the absence of quartz

• Composed mostly of ferromagnesium

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