Classification

of Rocks
LESSON 4
VICTOR G. MABAGOS JR.
TEACHER II
 Objectives:

 1. identify the three types of

rocks;
 2. classify rocks as to igneous,
sedimentary and metamorphic
rocks; and
 3. appreciate the importance of
rocks in our daily life.
 Earth is a solid rock
to a depth of 2,900
kilometers, where
mantle meets the
liquid outer core.
ROCK

 is a naturally occurring solid

aggregate of one or more minerals.
The aggregate minerals forming the
rocks are held together by chemical
bonds. Grains can be different in
color, texture, and sizes. Geologists
then group rocks into three
categories based on how the rocks
form: igneous sedimentary and
metamorphic rock.
Petrology is the scientific study of
rocks.

Petrologists classify rocks based on

how they were formed.
How are rocks classified?
 Rocks are classified according to how they are formed.
From the diagram above, we can see that:
 Igneousrocks are formed by the cooling or solidification
of magma or lava.
 Metamorphic rocks are formed by preexisting rocks that
are exposed to extreme heat and pressure in the Earth’s
interior, a process called metamorphism.
 Sedimentary rocks are formed by the compaction and
cementation of sediments, a process
called lithification.
 Also, we can see that one type of rock can be
transformed into another type depending on the
process that it goes through.
Igneous Rocks
 Igneous rocks are further classified as intrusive or extrusive
igneous based on grain size.
 Intrusive rocks, or plutonic rocks, are igneous rocks formed
underneath the earth. They are coarse-grained due to the
slow cooling of magma allowing crystal growth.
 Extrusive rocks, or volcanic rocks, are igneous rocks formed
on the surface of the earth. They are cooled lava, which are
molten rocks ejected on the surface through volcanic
eruptions. They are fine-grained due to abrupt cooling on
the surface. ​
 Igneous rocks can also be classified based on grain size, general
composition, and percentage mineral composition. The diagram
below shows the four general compositions of igneous rocks–
light-colored or felsic, intermediate, dark-colored mafic, and
ultramafic.
Igneous rocks are classified
based on:
 1. Composition
 FELSIC - light in color; feldspar
and silicates
 MAFIC - dark in color; made up of
magnesium and iron
 INTERMEDIATE – between mafic
and felsic
 ULTRAMAFIC - very dark color
Igneous rocks are classified based on:
 2. Texture- overall appearance of rock
 Aphanistic - fine grained
 Phaneritic- coarse grained
 Porphyritic- large crystals with small crystals
 Glassy- non-ordered solid from rapid quenching
 Pyroclastic- composite of ejected fragments
 Examples:
Obsidian, pumice, basalt, granite, diorite,
gabbro
Sedimentary Rocks
 are formed by the deposition and cementation of mineral or
organic particles on the floor of oceans and other bodies of
water at the Earth’s surface.
 It provide information about surface conditions that existed in
the Earth’s past.
● Particles of sand, shells, pebbles, and other fragments of
materials called sediments, accumulate in layers and over
long period of time harden into rocks.
● Compaction-due to increase of pressure of layered
sediments it bind together to form the sedimentary rocks.
Three types of
sedimentary rocks
 Clastic Sedimentary
rock - formed from
accumulation of
clasts: little pieces
of broken rocks and
shells.
 Examples:
conglomerate,
breccia, sandstone,
shale
Three types of
sedimentary rocks
 b. Chemical - formed
when dissolved
minerals precipitate
from a solution.
 Example: Halite -
formed when a
body of seawater
becomes closed
off and
evaporates.
Three types of
sedimentary rocks
 c. Organic - rocks
formed from the
accumulation of
animal debris
 Example: Coal -
composed of
organic matter in
the form of plants
fragments.
Metamorphic rock

 formsfrom existing rock types called

“parent rock” in the process called
metamorphism, which means a change
in form. The original rock which can be
an igneous, sedimentary, or another
metamorphic rock is subjected to heat
and pressure, causing a profound
chemical or physical change.
2 types of metamorphism

1. Regional-due to
2. Contact-mainly
changes in pressure
by heat due to
and temperature
contact with
over large region of
magma
the crust
Metamorphic Rocks
 Metamorphic rocks can be classified as foliated or non-
foliated based on texture.
 Foliatedmetamorphic rocks have layered or banded
appearance produced by exposure to high
temperatures and pressures.
Examples include slate, phyllite, schist, and
gneiss.
 Incontrast, non-foliated metamorphic rocks do not
have layered appearance.
Examples include marble, quartzite, and
anthracite.
 Foliated and non-foliated metamorphic rocks
can be further classified based on their parent
rocks. However, such classification can be
difficult because of the rock alteration during
metamorphism. The table below shows the
parent rocks of different foliated and non-
foliated rocks.
Key Points
 Igneous rocks are formed by the cooling or
solidification of magma or lava.
 Metamorphic rocks are formed by preexisting
rocks that are exposed to extreme heat and
pressure in the Earth’s interior, a process
called metamorphism.
 Sedimentary rocks are formed by the
compaction and cementation of sediments, a
process called lithification.
 =END OF
DISCUSSION=