Rocks and Rock Forms

ROCKS AND ROCK CYCLE
A rock is any naturally occurring solid mass or

aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is
categorized by the minerals included, its chemical
composition and the way in which it is formed.
Rocks are usually grouped into three main groups:
igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks and sedimentary
rocks. Rocks are found in the lithosphere, which is
derived from the Greek word lithos which means
“stone.”
THE ROCK CYCLE
The Rock Cycle is a group of changes. Igneous rock can change into
sedimentary rock or into metamorphic rock. Sedimentary rock can change into
metamorphic rock or into igneous rock. Metamorphic rock can change into
igneous or sedimentary rock. Igneous rock forms when magma cools and makes
crystals. Magma is a hot liquid made of melted minerals. The minerals can form
crystals when they cool. Igneous rock can form underground, where the magma
cools slowly. Or, igneous rock can form above ground, where the magma cools
quickly.
IGNEOUS ROCKS
 Igneous rocks (from the Greek word for fire) form when hot, molten rock
crystallizes and solidifies. The melt originates deep within the Earth near
active plate boundaries or hot spots, then rises toward the surface. Igneous
rocks are divided into two groups, intrusive or extrusive, depending upon
where the molten rock solidifies.
 Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or

lava. The magma can be derived from partial melts of existing rocks in either
a planet's mantle or crust.
TWO GROUPS OF IGNEOUS ROCKS:
 Intrusive Igneous Rocks:

Intrusive, or plutonic, igneous rock forms when magma is trapped deep inside
the Earth. Great globs of molten rock rise toward the surface. Some of the
magma may feed volcanoes on the Earth's surface, but most remains trapped
below, where it cools very slowly over many thousands or millions of years
until it solidifies. Slow cooling means the individual mineral grains have a very
long time to grow, so they grow to a relatively large size. Intrusive rocks have
a coarse grained texture.
 Extrusive Igneous Rocks:
Extrusive, or volcanic, igneous rock is produced when magma exits and cools
above (or very near) the Earth's surface. These are the rocks that form at
erupting volcanoes and oozing fissures. The magma, called lava when molten
rock erupts on the surface, cools and solidifies almost instantly when it is
exposed to the relatively cool temperature of the atmosphere. Quick
cooling means that mineral crystals don't have much time to grow, so these
rocks have a very fine-grained or even glassy texture. Hot gas bubbles are
often trapped in the quenched lava, forming a bubbly, vesicular texture.
INTRUSIVE IGNEOUS ROCK:
Diorite is a coarse-grained, intrusive igneous rock that

contains a mixture of feldspar, pyroxene, hornblende,
and sometimes quartz.
EXTRUSIVE IGNEOUS ROCK:
Basalt is a fine-grained, dark-colored extrusive igneous

rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene.
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
 Metamorphic rocks have been modified by heat, pressure, and chemical

processes, usually while buried deep below Earth's surface. Exposure to these
extreme conditions has altered the mineralogy, texture, and chemical
composition of the rocks.
 Process of Metamorphism:
The process of metamorphism does not melt the rocks, but instead transforms
them into denser, more compact rocks. New minerals are created either by
rearrangement of mineral components or by reactions with fluids that enter
the rocks. Pressure or temperature can even change previously
metamorphosed rocks into new types. Metamorphic rocks are often squished,
smeared out, and folded. Despite these uncomfortable conditions,
metamorphic rocks do not get hot enough to melt, or they would become
igneous rocks!
TWO MAJOR TYPES OF METAMORPHISM:
Foliated Metamorphic Rocks:

Foliated metamorphic rocks are formed within the Earth's interior under
extremely high pressures that are unequal, occurring when the pressure is
greater in one direction than in the others (directed pressure). This causes
the minerals in the original rock to reorient themselves with the long and flat
minerals aligning perpendicular to the greatest pressure direction. This
reduces the overall pressure on the rock and gives it a stripped look.
GNEISS PYLLITE
NON-FOLIATED METAMORPHIC ROCK:
Non-foliated metamorphic rocks are formed around igneous intrusions where the temperatures are
high but the pressures are relatively low and equal in all directions (confining pressure). The
original minerals within the rock recrystallize into larger sizes and the atoms become more tightly
packed together, increasing the density of the rock.
Non-foliated metamorphic rocks are identified on the basis of their composition:
 Quartzite = composed of the mineral quartz; metamorphosed sandstone
 Marble = composed of the mineral calcite; metamorphosed limestone
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
 Sedimentary rocks are formed from pre-existing rocks or pieces of once-living organisms.
They form from deposits that accumulate on the Earth's surface. Sedimentary rocks often
have distinctive layering or bedding. Many of the picturesque views of the desert
southwest show mesas and arches made of layered sedimentary rock.
 Common Sedimentary Rocks:
Common sedimentary rocks include sandstone, limestone, and shale. These rocks often
start as sediments carried in rivers and deposited in lakes and oceans. When buried, the
sediments lose water and become cemented to form rock. Tuffaceous sandstones contain
volcanic ash.
EXAMPLES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS:
is a clastic sedimentary rock that contains large (greater than

two millimeters in diameter) rounded particles. The space
between the pebbles is generally filled with smaller particles
and/or a chemical cement that binds the rock together. The
specimen shown above is about two inches (five centimeters)
across.
Flint is a hard, tough, chemical or biochemical
sedimentary rock that breaks with a conchoidal fracture. It
is a form of microcrystalline quartz that is typically called
“chert” by geologists.

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ROCKS AND ROCK CYCLE

A rock is any naturally occurring solid mass or

 Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or

 Intrusive Igneous Rocks:

Diorite is a coarse-grained, intrusive igneous rock that

Basalt is a fine-grained, dark-colored extrusive igneous

 Metamorphic rocks have been modified by heat, pressure, and chemical

is a clastic sedimentary rock that contains large (greater than

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