Antonio, Harold Allan Theodore D.

Maritime-1D

CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS:

1. IGNEOUS ROCKS
Examples:

Basalt- the dark, dense igneous rock of

a lava flow or minor intrusion, composed
essentially of labradorite and pyroxene
and often displaying a columnar structure.

Andesite- is the name used for a

family of fine-grained, extrusive igneous
rocks that are usually light to dark gray in
color. They often weather to various
shades of brown, and these specimens
must be broken for proper examination.

Obsidian- is an igneous rock that forms

when molten rock material cools so rapidly
that atoms are unable to arrange themselves
into a crystalline structure. It is an
amorphous material known as a
"mineraloid." The result is a volcanic glass
with a smooth uniform texture that breaks
with a conchoidal fracture.
2. SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Examples:

Breccia- is a term most often used for

clastic sedimentary rocks that are
composed of large angular fragments (over
two millimeters in diameter). The spaces
between the large angular fragments are
filled with a matrix of smaller particles and
a mineral cement that binds the rock
together.

Conglomerate- is a clastic
sedimentary rock that contains large
(greater than two millimeters in diameter)
rounded clasts. The space between the
clasts is generally filled with smaller
particles and/or a calcite or quartz cement
that binds the rock together. It is made up
of chert and limestone clasts bound in a
matrix of sand and clay.

Sandstone- is a sedimentary rock

composed of sand-size grains of mineral,
rock, or organic material. It also contains a
cementing material that binds the sand
grains together and may contain a matrix
of silt- or clay-size particles that occupy the
spaces between the sand grains.
3. METAMORPHIC ROCKS
Examples:

Amphibolite- is a non-foliated
metamorphic rock that forms through
recrystallization under conditions of high
viscosity and directed pressure. It is
composed primarily of hornblende
(amphibole) and plagioclase, usually
with very little quartz. The specimen
shown above is about two inches (five
centimeters) across.

Gneiss- is a foliated metamorphic

rock that has a banded appearance and
is made up of granular mineral grains. It
typically contains abundant quartz or
feldspar minerals. The specimen shown
above is about two inches (five
centimeters) across.

Lapis Lazuli- the famous blue gem

material, is actually a metamorphic
rock. Most people are surprised to learn
that, so we added it to this photo
collection as a surprise. Blue rocks are
rare, and we bet that it captured your
eye. The round objects in the photo are
lapis lazuli beads about 9/16 inch (14
millimeters) in diameter.