Igneous Rocks made easy!

Coarse (Intrusive) Fine (Extrusive) Overall colour Density Silica Viscosity of magma Acidic Granite Rhyolite Light Low High High Intermediate Diorite Andesite Basic Gabbro Basalt Dark High Low Low

Rock Type

Picture

Key Features
Porphyritic Texture Mineralogy (Felsic) Quartz, Feldspars, Mica Course Grained Phenocrysts of Plagioclase Feldspar

Granite

Rhyolite

Usually Aphanitic texture Mineralogy (Felsic) Quartz, Feldspars, sometimes mica.

Diorite

Usually Phaneritic Texture Mineralogy Plagioclase Feldspar, Biotite, Hornblende and some felsic minerals in small quantities.

Andesite

Aphanitic or Porphyritic texture Mineralogy Plagioclase Feldspar, Hornblende, Pyroxene and some felsic minerals in small quantities. Phaneritic texture. Mineralogy Mafic (& plagioclase) The vast majority of the Earth's surface is underlain by gabbro within the oceanic crust, magmatism at mid-ocean ridges.

Gabbro

Basalt

Aphanitic or sometimes porphyritic texture. Mineralogy Mafic (& plagioclase) Common features of basalt flows are columnar jointing and pillow lavas.