ROCKS

What is a Rocks?
 to geologists, a rock is a natural substance
composed of a solid crystals of different minerals
that have been fused together into a solid lump.

the minerals may or may not have been formed at

the same time. What matters is that natural
processes glued them all together.
Types of Rocks
Igneous rocks
Sedimentary rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
 Igneous Rocks
Igneous rocks (from the Latin word for fire) form
when hot, molten rock crystallizes and solidifies.
The melt originates deep within the Earth near
active plate boundaries or hot spots, then rises
toward the surface. Igneous rocks are divided into
two groups, intrusive or extrusive, depending upon
where the molten rock solidifies.
 Intrusive Igneous Rocks:
Intrusive, or plutonic, igneous rock forms when magma is trapped deep inside the
Earth. Great globs of molten rock rise toward the surface. Some of the magma may feed
volcanoes on the Earth's surface, but most remains trapped below, where it cools very
slowly over many thousands or millions of years until it solidifies. Slow cooling means
the individual mineral grains have a very long time to grow, so they grow to a relatively
large size. Intrusive rocks have a coarse grained texture.
 Extrusive Igneous Rocks:
Extrusive, or volcanic, igneous rock is produced when magma exits and cools above
(or very near) the Earth's surface. These are the rocks that form at erupting volcanoes
and oozing fissures. The magma, called lava when molten rock erupts on the surface,
cools and solidifies almost instantly when it is exposed to the relatively cool
temperature of the atmosphere. Quick cooling means that mineral crystals don't
have much time to grow, so these rocks have a very fine-grained or even glassy
texture. Hot gas bubbles are often trapped in the quenched lava, forming a bubbly,
vesicular texture.
MADE BY IGNEOUS ROCKS

figure 1
figure 2
 Igneous rocks have a wide variety of uses. One important use is as stone for buildings and
statues. Diorite was used extensively by ancient civilizations for vases and other decorative
artwork and is still used for art today (Figure 1).

Granite (figure 2) is used both in building construction and for statues. It is also a popular choice
for kitchen countertops. Peridotite is sometimes mined for peridot, a type of olivine that is used
in jewelry.

Pumice is commonly used as an abrasive. Pumice is used to smooth skin or scrape up grime
around the house. When pumice is placed into giant washing machines with newly
manufactured jeans and tumbled, the result is “stone-washed” jeans. Ground up pumice stone
is sometimes added to toothpaste to act as an abrasive material to scrub teeth.

 Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary rocks are formed from pre-existing
rocks or pieces of once-living organisms. They
form from deposits that accumulate on the Earth's
surface. Sedimentary rocks often have distinctive
layering or bedding. Many of the picturesque views
of the desert southwest show mesas and arches
made of layered sedimentary rock.
MADE BY SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
 Head Sculpted from Marble
Probably the most popular material used in sculpture, marble's translucency and

durability has made it the medium of choice for all the greatest sculptors, including

and Praxiteles, as well as their successors
Greek artists like Phidias, Myron, Polykleitos,
Donatello, Michelangelo, Bernini, Canova, and Rodin. Marble has been used equally for
relief sculpture and friezes, as well as the free-standing statue. In fact, ever since the
invention of metal tools during the Bronze Age, marble stone has been highly prized by
sculptors and architects alike. During the Renaissance, Michelangelo (1475-1564)
famously described stone sculpture as the slow release of a form as it emerged out of
the block. He said that it was his role as an artist to liberate the human form trapped
inside the block by gradually chipping away at the stone surface. Famous examples of
marble sculpture include masterpieces like: the Parthenon Reliefs (446-430 BCE), The
Apollo Belvedere (330 BCE), Venus de Milo (100 BCE), Trajan's Column reliefs (113 CE),
David by Michelangelo (1501-4), Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women (1581-3),
Canova's Apollo Crowning Himself (1781), Rodin's The Kiss (1888-9) and Daniel Chester
French's Statue of Lincoln (1922).
Metamorphic Rocks:
Metamorphic rocks started out as some other type of rock,
but have been substantially changed from their original
igneous, sedimentary, or earlier metamorphic form.
Metamorphic rocks form when rocks are subjected to high
heat, high pressure, hot mineral-rich fluids or, more
commonly, some combination of these factors. Conditions
like these are found deep within the Earth or where
tectonic plates meet.
MADE BY METAMORPHIC ROCKS

figure 4.15
figure 4.16
 Figure 4.15: Marble is used for decorative items and in art.

Hornfels, with its alternating bands of dark and light crystals is a good example of how minerals
rearrange themselves during metamorphism. In this case, the minerals separated by density and
became banded. Gneiss forms by regional metamorphism from both high temperature and pressure.

Quartzite and marble are the most commonly used metamorphic rocks. They are frequently chosen for
building materials and artwork. Marble is used for statues and decorative items like vases (Figure 4.15).
Ground up marble is also a component of toothpaste, plastics, and paper. Quartzite is very hard and is
often crushed and used in building railroad tracks (Figure 4.16). Schist and slate are sometimes used as
building and landscape materials.

Prepared by: Jasmine Espiridion

Section/ Strand: 11- ABM Perugia

Submitted to: Monikka P.Belen