Julie McCartney

GEOL L100
September 16, 2014
Assignment: Week 4

How do igneous rocks form?

Igneous rocks from molten magma within the earth (intrusive) or from lava once it surfaces
(extrusive).

Use the chemical composition and texture to classify igneous rocks....name and describe
some types of textures
The two main types of igneous rocks are intrusive and extrusive. Extrusive igneous rocks have
an aphanitic texture where crystals are not always visible to the eye. Phaneritic texture is more
coarse and the grains are better visible to the eye. Igneous rocks can also have a vesicular
texture where holes or openings are visible, such as pumice. No crystals at all with a glassy
texture would indicate obsidian. A Pegmatitic texture can be either aphanitic or phaneritic and
are where the rock has large crystals present as opposed to a Porphyritic texture which would
present large grains among finer materials.
Igneous rocks can also be classified based on the size, its relationship to other rock. etc for
plutonic rocks.
Identify samples 1, 4, 6 and 9.
1. Granite
4. Rhyolite
6. Pumice
9. Gabbro
Answer questions 1 through 7 on pages 146-147 of your lab manual.
1.

Magma for deposits that are within the earth (intrusive) and lava for deposits that reach
the earths surface (extrusive)

2. Volcanic Ash: <2mm in diameter

lapilli or cinders: 2 to 64 mm
Volcanic bombs and blocks: > 64 mm
3.
4.
5.
6.

Basalt
Granite
Early-Forming
Pumice is an extrusive rock which cools quickly so that the volcanic gas bubbles are
trapped inside which forms the vesticles.
7. Tuff is volcanic ash debris which can meld together with other pyroclastic fragments.