IGNEOUS ROCK

Igneous rocks (from the Greek word for fire) form when hot, molten rock (magma)
crystallizes and solidifies, either at volcanoes on the surface of the Earth or while the melted rock
is still inside the crust. Igneous rocks are formed from the solidification of magma, which is a hot
(600 to 1,300 °C, or 1,100 to 2,400 °F) molten or partially molten rock material.
Igneous rocks can have many different compositions, depending on the magma they cool
from. They can also look different based on their cooling conditions. For example, two rocks
from identical magma can become either rhyolite or granite, depending on whether they cool
quickly or slowly. 

How Are Igneous Rocks Classified? 

 Igneous rocks are grouped according to:
 Chemical composition
 Mode of occurrence
 Mineralogy
 Geometric setting of the igneous structure
 Texture
The classification of the igneous rocks may give us vital information regarding the conditions
under which they were created. Particles and size are variables applied in the classification of
these rocks. The particles and size of a rock are greatly dependent on the cooling history and the
mineral properties of the rock.
Some basic minerals that are vital in the formation of igneous rocks include: quartz, olivine,
feldspars, micas, pyroxenes and amphiboles. All other minerals that are also present are
considered as unnecessary in almost all types of igneous rocks. These unnecessary minerals are
known as 'accessory minerals'.
Geologists normally use igneous textures to know the processes involved in forming a
particular type of igneous rock. The main types of igneous textures are: aphinitic, glassy,
pegmatite, phaneritic, porphyritic and pegmatitic.

The two main categories of igneous rocks:

1.) Extrusive rocks – formed on the surface of the Earth from lava, which is magma that has
emerged from underground. Also called volcanic, igneous rock is produced when magma
exits and cools above (or very near) the Earth's surface.
According to National Geography, the Crystals inside solid volcanic rocks are small because
they do not have much time to form until the rock cools all the way, which stops the crystal
growth. These fine-grained rocks are known as aphanitic (from a Greek word aphanēs, meaning
“invisible”). There are many other kinds of extrusive igneous rocks.
Example:
 Pele’s hair is long, extremely thin  Pahoehoe is smooth lava that
strands of volcanic glass forms shiny, rounded piles
 2.) Intrusive rocks - formed from magma that cools and solidifies within the crust of the
planet. Intrusive rocks, also called plutonic rocks, cool slowly without ever reaching the
surface. They have large crystals that are usually visible without a microscope. This
surface is known as a phaneritic (from the Greek phaneros, meaning “visible”) texture.
Intrusive rocks have a coarse-grained texture.

Some Examples of Igneous Rock

GRANITE
Granite - comes from the Latin granum,
for grain, referring to the common, coarse-
grained structure for this type
of  crystalline rock. In geology, granite is called
an intrusive, igneous rock.

They consist of 3 major minerals which are:

mica, feldspar and quartz. They may be
gray, tan or pinkish which depends on the
size of the grains and concentration of the 3
minerals.

OCCUREENCE

 It has been found as relatively small (less than 100 km 2 ), stock-like masses and also as huge
formations called "batholiths," often associated with mountain ranges formed by "orogeny" (the
mountain-forming processes of plate tectonics). Most granite intrusions are emplaced at depths
from 1.5 - 50 km (.9 - 30 miles) in the continental crust.
Granite is largely used in architectural construction and for making ornaments due to its
strength and availability in large quantities. Granite has been used for thousands of years in both
interior and exterior applications. Rough-cut and polished granite is used in buildings, bridges,
paving, monuments, and many other exterior projects. Indoors, polished granite slabs and tiles
are used in countertops, tile floors, stair treads, and many other practical and decorative features.
Granite is also used as a crushed stone or aggregate. In this form it is used as a base material
at construction sites, as an aggregate in road construction, railroad ballast, foundations, and
anywhere that a crushed stone is useful as fill.
Reference:
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/igneous-rocks/
https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-are-igneous-rocks?qt-news_science_products=0#qt-
news_science_products
https://www.britannica.com/science/igneous-rock
https://geology.com/rocks/granite.shtml
https://geology.com/articles/granite.shtml
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Granite