Name: _____________________________

LAB 5: IGNEOUS ROCKS

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES:
In the mineral lab you learned to identify rock-forming minerals of the Bowen’s Reaction Series.
This week you will see these same minerals in igneous rocks. This lab introduces you to 1) the
mechanisms that allow magma to rise to the surface, 2) how cooling rate affects crystal size, 3)
techniques used to identify igneous rocks and interpret their geologic origin, and 4) three types
of volcanoes.

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS:

• Igneous rock • Phaneritic • Diorite
• Volcanic • Porphyritic • Andesite
• Extrusive • Silica content • Felsic
• Lava • Viscosity • Granite
• Plutonic • Ultramafic • Rhyolite
• Intrusive • Peridotite • Obsidian
• Magma • Mafic • Shield
• Texture/Cooling Rate • Basalt • Composite
• Phenocryst • Gabbro • Caldera
• Aphanitic • Intermediate

IGNEOUS ROCKS

Classification is an important process in all the sciences, including geology. The two main
criteria used to classify rocks are texture (the size, shape, and arrangement of the grains or
crystals; see Table 1) and composition (the minerals or types of particles present; see Figure
1). The texture of an igneous rock is controlled by the rate that the magma cools, while its
composition, or mineralogy, is controlled by the magma’s chemistry. Classifying rocks is not
the goal in itself, but rather, it allows us to discuss the rocks from a common frame of reference,
and to make interpretations about how they formed.

All igneous rocks start as a molten material called magma. Deep within the Earth’s crust,
magma solidifies slowly--over several millions of years; the molecules within the magma having
time to arrange themselves into large crystals, forming a rock with a coarse grained texture
(Table 1) that is referred to as a plutonic (or intrusive) rock. Magma that erupts from a
volcano or a fissure is called lava. Because lava cools quickly, its crystals are small, forming a
fine grained texture (Table 1) called volcanic (or extrusive). If the lava cools too rapidly for
any crystals to organize into an orderly atomic arrangement, a volcanic glass known as
obsidian forms. Native Americans used obsidian to make arrowheads and knives. Sometimes
expanding volcanic gas turns the lava to foam as it erupts. The rock will be riddled with holes
called vesicles; black or red vesicular (basalt) rock is called scoria, while white or gray
vesicular glass is pumice which is so light, it floats on water!

Sometimes certain crystals grow significantly larger than others, producing a rock that has
different sizes of grains. This is called porphyritic texture, and the large crystals are called
phenocrysts.

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.

Fine-grained groundmass Coarse-grained groundmass

with coarse phenocrysts with larger phenocrysts

(volcanic). (plutonic).

If the lava erupts violently, it tears off pieces of the vent as it blasts from the volcano.
The lava sprays into the air and cools very quickly, accumulating as a layer of particles of
varying size. This type of rock is pyroclastic (“fire fragmented”), and is mainly dust and sand
sized particles called ash. A rock composed of ash is a tuff, but it may include larger fragments
of rock or pumice. If the rock is mainly visible fragments, it is a breccia. The largest particles
ejected as liquids are volcanic bombs, and may be the size of Volkswagens.

Igneous rocks are composed mostly of the minerals in Bowen’s Reaction Series; their
appearance and physical properties should be familiar to you from last week’s lab. Dark colored
igneous rocks are low in silica, but have a high amount of iron and magnesium-bearing (dark)
minerals and Ca-rich plagioclase feldspar; these are positioned “high” on Bowen’s chart (Fig.1).
In contrast, minerals in pale colored igneous rocks are high in silica (mainly quartz and K-spar),
have few Fe- or Mg-bearing minerals, and are “low” on Bowen’s chart (Fig. 1). This is an
important distinction, because volcanoes that erupt high silica lava tend to do so violently, while
volcanoes that erupt low silica lavas tend to be more passive. Light colored, high-silica rocks
make up the continental crust, while the dark colored, low-silica rocks form the oceanic crust
and mantle (Table 2).

METHOD:
Examine the rocks and illustrations indicated, and answer the questions on the accompanying
worksheet.

Table 1 Textures of Igneous Rocks

Textural Term Observation Interpretation

Coarse grained (Phaneritic)
Fine grained (Aphanitic)
Porphyritic (fine or coarse)
Vesicular
Pyroclastic. Tuff if fine, breccia if
coarse
Glassy
All minerals readily visible.
(Everything is crystallized)
Minerals too small to readily seen
Two distinct mineral sizes.
Groundmass may be either
coarse or fine grained.
Numerous holes
Fragments. May be fine or
coarse
Looks like glass
Slow cooling-plutonic.
Rapid cooling -volcanic.
Initial slow cooling then more
rapid. Plutonic if coarse
groundmass, volcanic if fine
groundmass.
Gas charged volcanic froth.
Explosive volcanic. Lava
solidifies in air.
Very rapid cooling of lava with
high silica content. Volcanic.

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 Figure 1 Igneous rock names based on the minerals in Bowen’s Reaction Series

Low Silica, Low 1200 C Coarse Grained:

Viscosity Olivine Ca plagioclase
Peridotite
Pyroxene Coarse Grained: Gabbro

(Augite) Fine Grained: Basalt

Coarse Grained: Diorite
Amphibole Oceanic crust
Fine Grained: Andesite
900 C
(Hornblende)
Convergent Margins Biotite mica Na plagioclase

K-feldspar

(K-spar)
Muscovite mica
High Silica, High Coarse Grained: Granite
Viscosity 600 C
Quartz
Fine Grained: Rhyolite

Continental crust

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 Table 2 Characteristics Used to Identify Igneous Rocks

Has Quartz No Quartz No Quartz No Quartz

Light minerals
K-spar >> Plag K-spar = Plag Plag, no K-spar No feldspar
Biotite Hornblende Pyroxene
Dark minerals Olivine and Pyroxene
Hornblende Pyroxene Olivine
Overall Color Pale colored Intermediate colored Dark colored Vitreous green
Coarse grained: Granite Diorite Gabbro Peridotite
Origin: Plutonic Plutonic Plutonic Plutonic
Continent-ocean Oceanic crust;
Plate tectonic setting: Continental crust Mantle
convergent divergent
Basalt
Fine grained: Rhyolite Andesite
(Scoria if vesicular)
No fine-grained or
Volcanic, composite Volcanic, composite Passive lava flows; fragmental rocks
Origin:
cones and calderas cones shield volcanoes equivalent to peridotite
Continental hot Continent-ocean Divergent, ocean
Plate tectonic setting:
spot, convergent convergent hot spot

Fine fragments: Rhyolite Tuff Andesite Tuff Basalt Cinders

(pyroclastic)
Coarse fragments Breccia Breccia Breccia
Most explosive Passive eruptions;
Origin: Explosive volcanic
volcanic cinder cones
Divergent, oceanic
Convergent or
Plate tectonic setting: Convergent hotspot; flood
continental hotspot
basalts

Glassy:
If glassy (black or brown): Obsidian

If vesicular; frothy: Pumice *Note: Exceptionally coarse-grained granite containing no dark minerals is
called pegmatite. These often contain gemstones such as aquamarine or
tourmaline and are commonly radioactive.
Chilled Volcanic
Origin:
Lava

Continental hot
Tectonic setting:
spot/ convergent

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Station 1: Crystallization from a Melt

Magmas crystallize at various temperatures (600 to 11000 C), much too high to demonstrate in
this lab. However, we can model the process of magma crystallization using a chemical wax
that melts at lower temperatures. The two rocks represent material from the same magma
chamber, but were cooled at different rates.

1) Which rocks (A or B) represent plutonic (intrusive) rocks, and volcanic (extrusive) rocks?

2) What is the relationship between cooling rate and crystal size?

Station 2: Interpreting Variations in Crystal Size

Examine the samples of andesite (6-A) and diorite (6-B). The different textures of these rocks
make them look very different, but they have the same chemical composition. (See Bowen’s
chart.)

3) What is the textural term that best describes each sample (Table 1)?

4) What interpretations can you make about the cooling rate of the magma from which each
rock formed?

5) What is the appropriate term for the origin of each rock? (Table 2.)

6) In what plate tectonic setting (plate boundary) did each rock form (Table 2)?

3) Textural term: Diorite (3A):

Andesite (3B):
4) Cooling rate: Diorite (4A):
Andesite (4B):
5) Origin term: Diorite (5A):
Andesite (5B):
6) Plate tectonic
Setting: Diorite (6A):

Andesite (6B):

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Station 3: Basalt and Gabbro

Examine the samples of gabbro (3) and basalt (4). The different textures of these rocks make
them look very different, but they have the same chemical composition. (See Bowen’s chart.)
These rocks comprise the oceanic crust.

7) What is the textural term that best describes each sample (Table 1)?

8) What interpretations can you make about the cooling rate of the magma from which each
rock formed?

9) What is the appropriate term for the origin of each rock? (Table 2.)

10) In what plate tectonic setting (plate boundary) did each rock form?

7) Textural term: Gabbro (7A):

Basalt (7B):
8) Cooling rate: Gabbro (8A):
Basalt (8B):
9) Origin term: Gabbro (9A):
Basalt (9B):
10)Plate tectonic
Setting: Gabbro (10A):

Basalt (10B):

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Station 4: Granite, Rhyolite and Obsidian

Examine the samples of granite (5), rhyolite (6), and obsidian (7). Their chemical
compositions are identical, but their textures differ greatly. Granite comprises most of the
continental crust.

11) What is the textural term that best describes each sample (Table 1).

12) What interpretations can you make about the cooling rate of the magma from which each
rock formed?

13) What is the appropriate term for the origin of each rock? (Table 2.)

14) In what plate tectonic setting (type of plate boundary) did each rock form?

11) Textural term: Granite (11A):

12) Cooling rate:
13) Origin term:
14) Plate tectonic Setting:
Rhyolite (11B):
Obsidian (11C):
Granite (12A):
Rhyolite (12B):
Obsidian (12C):
Granite (13A):
Rhyolite (13B):
Obsidian (13C):
Granite (14A):
Rhyolite (14B):
Obsidian (14C):

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NGSS ALIGNMENT
Performance Expectation(s) [Grades K-8]:

MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and

the flow of energy that drives this process.
Crosscutting concepts:
Energy & Matter: cycles, flows, cycles and conservation
Stability & Change
Scientific Practices:
Developing & Using Models
Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions

15) With reference to both parts of the lab activity, write a brief paragraph that
explains how you met the Performance Expectation (read: learning objective)
above.

16) In a brief paragraph, explain how you would implement these activities in your
classroom. What modifications would you make? What additional things would you
do to engage your learners? For example, how could you scale up or down for
different grade levels? What would you do before or after the lesson to contribute
to student learning?

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Station 5: Identifying and Interpreting Unknown Igneous Rocks

Identify and interpret samples 17 through 26 based on their texture and mineral composition, using Figure 1 and Tables 1 and 2.

Sample Texture Visible Minerals (Note if phenocrysts) Complete Rock Name Origin (Plutonic, volcanic, etc.)
17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26