Properties of Igneous Rocks

Different types of igneous rocks have different properties, but there are some general properties that
help identify all igneous rocks.

 They all contain minerals.

 The majority are made up of silicate materials.
 The process of igneous rock formation cannot be directly observed.
 They can be fine-grained or close-grained.
 Lava that cools quickly often has a glassy texture.

Characteristics of Igneous Rocks

 The igneous form of rocks does not include any fossil deposits. If there are any chances of fossil
deep inside the crust, it erupts out of the Earth’s surface and gets destroyed due to the sheer
heat these rocks produce.
 Most igneous forms include more than one mineral deposit.
 They can be either glassy or coarse.
 These usually do not react with acids.
 The mineral deposits are available in the form of patches with different sizes.

Properties of Sedimentary Rocks

The properties of sedimentary rocks vary slightly from rock to rock.

 Clastic sedimentary rocks are made up of rock and mineral grains you can see with the naked
eye or a microscope.
 The texture of igneous rocks is either fragmental or crystalline.
 Sedimentary rocks are found mostly on the Earth’s surface.
 These rocks contain the fossil record of ancient plants and animals.

Characteristics of Sedimentary Rocks

 Deposited at the earth’s surface by wind, water, glacier ice, or biochemical processes.
 Typically deposited in strata (layers) under cool surface conditions. This is in contrast to
stratified volcanic rock (tuff), which has a hot origin.

Properties of Metamorphic Rocks

Since all metamorphic rocks start out as other types of rocks, the properties of metamorphic rocks can
vary.

 Metamorphic rocks are generally crystalline in texture.

 They often have a banded, or squashed look.
 They do not get hot enough to melt.
Characteristics of Metamorphic Rocks

The two characteristics used to classify metamorphic rocks are foliation and lineation.

 Foliation is an arrangement of flaky layers along the rock that break off easily. Also known as
salty cleavage, this characteristic is often seen in low-grade metamorphic rocks. Foliation occurs
when uneven pressure acts on the parent rock and is accompanied by a change in temperature.
It is the result of pressure only acting in one direction.
 Lineation is another characteristic commonly seen in metamorphic rocks. Intersection lineation
is the most common type of lineation seen in metamorphic rocks. This is formed by the
intersection of any two foliations, such as bedding and cleavage or cleavage to a second
cleavage. Lineation can run parallel or perpendicular to foliations. This feature forms mostly due
to a drastic change in pressure and is less dependent on temperature changes.