The 3 Different TYPES OF ROCKS

1. Igneous Rocks
The first type of rock on this list are the igneous type of rock. Igneous rocks are
more than just a cool name. They’re actually cool in another way.

Igneous rocks are actually cooled and hardened magma. That means that Igneous rocks are
formed when molten rock from deep within the earth rises to the surface (lava) and cools.
Sometimes the magma will cool inside the earth before it even reaches the surface.

It’s this cooling period that decides what kind of igneous rocks that magma turns into. Because
there are two types of Igneous rocks.

Intrusive Igneous Rock

Intrusive igneous rocks form when magma cools slowly thousands of feet below the Earth’s
surface. Most intrusive rocks have large, well-formed
crystals.
Examples of intrusive igneous rocks include granite, gabbro, diorite, and dunite.

Extrusive Igneous Rock

Extrusive igneous rocks form when magma reaches the Earth’s surface a volcano and cools
quickly. Most extrusive (volcanic) rocks have small crystals.

Examples of extrusive igneous rocks include basalt, rhyolite, andesite, and obsidian.

Andesite – Andesites are simply fine-grained extrusive indigenous rocks

that are light gray in color. They consist mainly of plagioclase minerals
that are mixed together with hornblende, biotite, and pyroxene.

Basalt – Basalts are fine-grained volcanic rocks. They are dense

and appear in dark-gray color. They mainly consist of
plagioclase and pyroxene. Basalts are the most common form of
solidified lava and are utilized in building and construction
processes.

Pumice – Pumice is a very porous and vesicular igneous

rock that results from the rapid solidification of magma. The
porousness and vascularity of its texture are caused by the
gas trapped in the molten rock as it undergoes
solidification.

Obsidian – Obsidians are dense extrusive igneous rocks that are

dark in color. They are created when lava cools rapidly without
crystallizing. They are dark, but are clear in slim pieces, and were
often times used to make arrowheads by ancient civilizations.

Granite – Granite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock that

are generally light in color. Granite is composed of three different
minerals: mica, feldspar and quartz, and is widely used in
construction due to its widespread availability and durability.

Rhyolite – Rhyolites are fine-grained extrusive igneous rocks

 that are light in color. They are usually made up of quartz and
feldspar minerals. They normally possess a smooth surface.

2. SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
there are three basic types of sedimentary rock:

Clastic sedimentary rocks – such as breccia, conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and shale are
formed from mechanical weathering debris.

Chemical sedimentary rocks – such as rock salt, iron ore, chert, flint, some dolomites, and some
limestones, form when dissolved minerals precipitate from solution.

Organic sedimentary rocks – such as coal, some dolomites, and some limestones, form from
the accumulation of plant or animal debris.

Sedimentary rocks are formed at the surface of the Earth. This can take place either in water or
on land. Sedimentary rocks are exactly what they sound like sediment.

Sedimentary-type rocks are layered accumulations of different kinds of sediments, such as

fragments of rocks, minerals, and even animal and plant material.

Most sedimentary rocks become cemented together by the minerals and chemicals
that they contain. Sometimes these layers are even held together by electrical attraction. But
there are also sedimentary rocks that never really fuse together and remain loose.

All of these multiple layers of sedimentary rock generally run parallel (or nearly parallel) to the
Earth’s surface. But you’ll also notice while out in the field that some of these layers run at high
angles, and are not parallel to the earth’s surface. If you see this, then you know that there’s
been some kind of major geological movement that moved that layer of rock after it was formed.

are the most common in the uppermost portion of the crust. It is derived from the word
sedimentation which means,” settling” as the settling of material from a fluid. These rocks
account for about 75% of
the rocks on the surface. Sedimentary rocks are formed when weathered products are
transported by running water and later deposited in the
ocean where it is lithified.

As a matter of fact, sedimentary rocks are forming around us all the time.

•Sand and gravel on beaches or in river bars look like the sandstone and conglomerate that
they will eventually become.
•Compacted and dried mud flats harden into shale.

•Scuba divers who have seen mud and shells settling on the floors of lagoons find it easy to
understand how sedimentary rocks form.

Brecia – Brecia are clastic sedimentary rocks made up of

angular rock broken parts that are cemented together. The
broken pieces are similar to conglomerate because of their
large pea-sizes. Breccias are commonly found along fault
zones and they take any color.

Conglomerate – Conglomerates are clastic sedimentary rocks

composed of semi-rounded rock fragments that are cemented
together. Conglomerate fragments are commonly deposited along the
shoreline or stream channel and they are pea-sized or larger. They’re
also referred to as pudding stone.

Sandstone – Sandstones are clastic sedimentary rocks that are made up

of sand grains that have been cemented together. Sandstones vary from
fine-grained to coarse grained are readily distinguishable by the naked
eyes. Mature sandstones or quartz sandstones are light-colored and
majorly consist of rounded and well-sorted quartz grains.

Shale – Shale consists of clay minerals or clay-sized pieces that

have been compacted by the weight of the overlying rock. Shale
belongs to clastic sedimentary rocks and they tend to split into
fairly flat pieces. They are generally a good source of fossils and
are mostly found at the bottom of lakes or oceans.

Limestone – Limestones are chemical sedimentary rocks made up of

the mineral calcite and can be difficult to identify visually. Common
types of limestone include fossiliferous limestone which is great for
containing fossils.

Chert – Cherts are chemical sedimentary rocks formed due to the

deposition of cryptocrystalline quartz. Cherts are of dull brown or
gray in color and are often found as nodules firmly enclosed in
limestone which protrude out of the limestone when the limestone is
slowly immersed in water. Jasper can be red, bright yellowish brown
or reddish brown chert.

3. METAMORPHIC ROCKS

Metamorphic Rocks
Finally, Metamorphic rocks. What are they? Well, sometimes the other two types of rocks,
sedimentary and igneous rocks, can be under such high pressures or intense heat so high that
the rocks actually “morph”, or change. These changes of rocks become metamorphic rocks.

This change to metamorphic rock takes place very deep within the earth’s crust. The
process of this change does not melt the rocks like you would think, but instead what
it does is literally transform them into rocks that are more dense and compact.

Kinds of Metamorphic rocks

1. Foliated/ banded- exhibit layers or stripes caused by theelongation and alignment of minerals
in the rock as it undergoesmetamorphism. includes slates, phyllites and gneiss.
2. Non foliated- rocks do not have banding- do not contain mineralsthat align during
metamorphism and do not appear layered. This include marble, quartzite and serpentine,.

Marble is changed from pure limestone.

Quartzite forms fromsandstone.

Serpentine is metamorphosed in basalt.

Quartzite – Quartzite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock

derived from sandstone. Heat and pressure combine to fuse grains
of quartz sand that make up the composition of quartzite.

Marble – Marble is a metamorphic rock that comes from

metamorphosed limestone or dolomite. It can be most any
color including white, black, reds, greens, and more and is
used as building materials for its strength and beauty.

Slate – Slate is a fined grained metamorphic rock.

Shale is the parent rock. It is made up of clay minerals.

SHALE- soft, finely stratified sedimentary rock

that formed from consolidated mud or clay and can be split easily into fragile
slabs.

Schist –Schist is a coarse grained metamorphic rock and shale is

the parent rock. If you look at a piece of this metamorphic rock
on the right you may be able to see crystals of the minerals that make up the rock.

Gneiss – is a medium to coarse grained metamorphic

rock. Shale is the typical parent rock. It is made up of clay
minerals. Shale can metamorphose into slate, phyllite,
schist or gneiss depending on the degree of heat and pressure.
 Rocks vs Minerals
Definition of Minerals
Minerals are crystal-like objects that are made from a specific chemical substance.
But when you hold a mineral, you are only holding one single mineral.

Definition of Rocks
Rocks are made from multiple minerals combined together. In other words, when you hold a
rock in your hand, you are actually holding a number of different kinds of minerals.