ESS222 PETROLOGY

Laboratory 5: Textures and mineralogy of extrusive igneous rocks.

Objectives:
to learn to recognize the common features that are typical of volcanic rocks.
Format: Examine the thin sections and hand specimens provided and familiarize yourself with
the textures and minerals listed below. For each term listed in bold face type, name a specimen
that displays the given texture or feature.
glassy textures
obsidian
vitroclastic
hyaloclastite
gas-release structures
vesicle
scoria(ceous)
variolitic

vitrophyric
devitrified
spherulitic
amygdule (amygdaloidal)
pumice(ous)

deformational structures
flow-banded
eutaxitic

fiamme

crystal form
porphyritic
groundmass
skeletal
crystallite (unrecognizable)

phenocryst
intersertal
spinifex
microlite (birefringent)

flow/particle morphology
ash
block
bomb
pillow margin

lapilli
xenolith
pahoehoe

Assignment: for each of the four matching thin section/hand specimen pairs provided, draw a
thin section diagram illustrating the listed features and identify as many phases (e.g., minerals,
glass) as you can:
207-3
207-13
207-15
207-16

glass, phenocryst, intersertal, groundmass, microlite, vesicle

lapilli, eutaxitic texture, crystal fragment, devitrified
amygdule, phenocryst, xenocryst, groundmass
phenocryst, groundmass, zoning, vesicle