Igneous Rocks

What are Igneous Rocks?

Igneous rocks form from the cooling of magma – molten materials in the earth’s crust. The terminology
Igneous means fire or heat. In this sense, igneous rocks are formed when molten rock (magma) solidifies
either underneath the earth crust to form plutonic (intrusive) igneous rocks or on the surface of the
earth to form volcanic (extrusive) igneous rocks.

They are simply the rocks formed through heating then followed by cooling. The heated material is the
molten rock which is made up of partial or complete melting of previously existent rocks in the earth’s
crust that are consistently subjected to intense heat, high pressure changes, and alterations in
composition.

As per Wikipedia,

“Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ignis meaning fire) is one of the three main rock types, the
others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and
solidification of magma or lava. Igneous rock may form with or without crystallization, either below the
surface as intrusive (plutonic) rocks or on the surface as extrusive (volcanic) rocks.”

Formation of Igneous Rocks

Molten materials are found below the earth crust and are normally subjected to extreme pressure and
temperatures – up to 1200° Celsius. Because of the high temperatures and pressure changes, the molten
materials sometimes shoot up to the surface in the form of volcanic eruption and they cool down to
form volcanic or extrusive igneous rocks.

Alternatively, some of the molten materials may cool underneath the earth surface very slowly to form
plutonic or intrusive igneous rocks. It is because of the extreme heat levels and changes in pressure that
igneous rocks do not contain organic matter or fossils. The molten minerals interlock and crystallize as
the melt cools and form solid materials.
Types of Igneous Rocks
Igneous rocks are of two types:

※intrusive (plutonic rocks)

※extrusive (volcanic rocks).

Intrusive Igneous Rocks

Intrusive igneous rocks are formed when the magma cools off slowly
under the earth’s crust and hardens into rocks. Gabbro and granite
are examples of intrusive igneous rocks. Intrusive rocks are very hard
in nature and are often coarse-grained.

Examples:

※Gabbro ※Granite

Extrusive Igneous Rocks

Extrusive igneous rocks are formed when molten magma spill over
to the surface as a result of volcanic eruption. The magma on the
surface (lava) cools faster on the surface to form igneous rocks that
are fine grained. Examples of such kind of rocks include pumice,
basalt, or obsidian.

Examples:

※Obsidian ※Pumice