Geology : Igneous Rocls

‘Testing Your Knowledge’ Assignment

On Chapter 11 “Igneous Rocks, Intrusive Activity, and the Origin of Igneous
Rocks”

Nama : Jelita Hanif Fambela

NIM : 114230110
Prodi : Teknik Lingkungan
Kelas : Geologi Dasar S
1. Why do mafic magmas tend to reach the surface much more often than silicic
magmas?
Silicic magma is much more viscous (that is, more resistant to flow) than mafic magma.
Therefore, a silicic magma body will travel upward through the crust more slowly and with
more difficulty than mafic or intermediate magma. Unless it is exceptionally hot, a silicic
magma will not be able to work its way through the relatively cool and rigid rocks of the
upper few kilometers of crust. Instead, it is much more likely to solidify slowly into a
pluton.

2. What role does the asthenosphere play in generating magma at (a) a convergent
boundary; (b) a divergent boundary?
(a) Divergent is closer to the surface (5-10 km). Decrease in pressure result in partial
melting.
(b) Convergent coincides with the depth at which subducted oceanic plate slides beneath
the asthenosphere, resulting in mafic magma. Melting occurs because subducted
oceanic crust releases water into asthenosphere.

3. How do batholiths form?

Detailed studies of batholiths indicate that they are formed of numerous, coalesced plutons.
Apparently, large blobs of magma worked their way upward through the lower crust and
collected 5 to 30 kilometers below the surface, where they solidified.

4. How would you distinguish, on the basis of minerals present, among granite, gabbro,
and diorite?
Granite is composed predominantly of feldspars (usually white or pink) and quartz.
Granite, being coarse-grained, can be positively identified by verifying that quartz is
present.
Gabbro is formed of coarse-grained ferromagnesian minerals and gray, plagioclase
feldspar. (Recall from the mineral chapter that ferromagnesian minerals are silicates that
contain iron and magnesium— amphibole, pyroxene, olivine, and biotite.) One can
 positively identify the feldspar on the basis of cleavage and, with practice, verify that no
quartz is present.
Diorite is composed of feldspars and significant amounts of ferromagnesian minerals (30–
50%).

5. How would you distinguish andesite from a diorite?

Diorite and andesite are composed of feldspars and significant amounts of ferromagnesian
minerals (30–50%). The minerals can be identified and their percentages estimated to
indicate diorite. Andesite, being fine-grained, can tentatively be identified by its medium-
gray or medium-green color. Its appearance is intermediate between light-colored rhyolite
and dark basalt.

6. What rock would probably form if magma that was feeding volcanoes above
subduction zones solidified at considerable depth?
The magma of volcanoes above subduction zones, when solidified at great depth, would
likely form granitic or felsic rock. This is a type of igneous rock formed under high pressure
and temperature conditions deep within the crust.

7. Why is a higher temperature required to form magma at the oceanic ridges than in
the continental crust?
Water present in flux melting, making it cooler while oceanic ridges have decompressing
melting (no Flux) therefore temperatures need to be higher. Besides, the continental crust
contains the high amount of silica needed for a silicic magma. As the silicic rocks of the
continental crust have relatively low melting temperatures (especially if water is present),
partial melting of the lower continental crust is likely.

8. What is the difference between feldspar found in gabbro and feldspar found in
granite?
Gabbro is enriched with calcium, which is a plagioclase feldspar while Granite is an
igneous rock that contains sodium, potassium, quartz, and alkali feldspar.
9. What is the difference between a dike and a sill?
A sill is concordant—parallel to the planes within the country rock. A dike is discordant—
not parallel to planes in the country rock. The sill does not cut across preexisting rocks, in
contrast to dikes, discordant intrusive sheet which do cut across older rocks.

10. Describe the differences between the continuous and the discontinuous branches of
Bowen’s reaction series.
The discontinuous branch, which contains only ferromagnesian minerals, we can see that
olivine crystallizes before pyroxene and pyroxene crystallizes before amphibole. The
continuous branch contains only plagioclase feldspar. Plagioclase is a solid solution
mineral (discussed in chapter 9 on minerals) in which either sodium or calcium atoms can
be accommodated in its crystal structure, along with aluminum, silicon, and oxygen. The
composition of plagioclase changes as magma is cooled and earlier formed crystals react
with the melt.

11. A surface separating different rock types is called a contact (B)

12. The major difference between intrusive igneous rocks and extrusive igneous rocks is
where they solidify (A)

13. Which is not an intrusive igneous rock? Andesite (D)

14. By definition, stocks differ from batholiths in size (A)

15. Which is not a source of heat for melting rock? water under pressure (D)

16. The geothermal gradient is, on the average, about 30°C/km (C)

17. The continuous branch of Bowen’s reaction series contains the mineral plagioclase (B)

18. The discontinuous branch of Bowen’s reaction series contains the mineral all of the
preceding (D)
19. The most common igneous rock of the continents is granite (B)

20. Granitic magmas are associated with convergent boundaries and magmatic underplating
(A)

21. The difference in texture between intrusive and extrusive rocks is primarily due to
different rates of cooling and crystallization (B)

22. Mafic magma is generated at divergent boundaries because of decompression melting

(B)

23. A change in magma composition due to melting of surrounding country rock is called
assimilation (B)