ROCKS

What are rocks made of?

Three Types of
rock

•Igneous
•Metamorphic
•Sedimentary
Three totally different types of
rock that all basically come from
the same materials
IGNEOUS ROCKS
• Igneous rocks got their name from Latin ignis for
fire.
• Formed by volcanic activity

Magma – molten rock generated by partial

melting of rocks in Earth’s mantle.
- consist mainly of SiO2 and lesser amount of
Aluminum, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium,
Magnesium and Iron
Types of Igneous Rocks
1. Extrusive rock or volcanic – when molten rocks solidifies at the
surface.

Andesite Basalt
2. Intrusive Igneous Rock or Plutonic – rocks formed at depth
*most magma lava loses its mobility before reaching the surface and
crystallizes at depth.

Granite
Igneous rocks may be
characterized by:
1. Texture – describe the overall appearance of the igneous rocks
based on the size, shape and arrangement of the interlocking
crystals.
Coarse – grained
 grains can be seen with bare eyes
Medium – grained
 grains can only be seen through a hand lens
Fined – grained
 grains can only be seen through the microscope
2. Composition – based on the chemical makeup of the parent
magma.
Light - colored
 like granite and rhyolite, composed of feldsfar and quartz
Medium – colored
 including diorite and andesite
Dark – colored
 including gabbro rock and basalt, composed mainly of pyroxene,
calcium – rich plagioclase feldspar
Sedimentary Rocks
• Sediments result from the uplifting and weathering, which are then transported and
deposited in different areas.
Lithification – process by which the sediments are transformed into solid sedimentary
rock
Compaction – most common process
- as piles of sediments accumulate, the materials below are compacted by
the weight of the overlying layers.

Cementation – another process by which sediments are converted to sedimentary rock

- the water that seeps through pore space between particles may contain
cementing materials. Through time the cement settles into the sediment grains, fills the
open spaces and then binds the particles together.
Common cements include;
 Calcite

 Silica

 Iron oxide
Sedimentary rocks are of particular importance to Earth’s history.
 as layer upon layer of sediments are accumulated, they carry the
records of the nature of the environment at the time the sediments
are deposited.
 Fossils are only found in sedimentary rocks.
 Types of Sedimentary Rocks
1. Detrimental sedimentary rocks – these rocks come from weathered
rocks such as igneous.
Classification of detrimental sedimentary rocks based on particle sized
Particle Size Sediment Rock

Coarse Gravel ( rounded particles) Conglomerate

Coarse Gravel ( angular particles) Breccia

Medium Sand Sandstone

Fine Mud Siltstone

Very fine Mud Shale

2. Chemical sedimentary rocks – these rocks come from soluble
materials produced largely by chemical weathering. The basis for
grouping is their chemical composition.
Composition Rock Name

Calcite (CaCO3 ) Limestone

Chalk
Halite ( NaCl ) Rock Salt

Gypsum (CaSO4 2H2O) Rock Gypsum

Quartz (SiO2 ) Chert ( light-colored)

Flint (dark- colored)
• Graveland sand are used in building and road
construction.
• Themain composition of chalk is calcium
carbonate
• Gypsum is the main ingredient of plaster of
paris
• Glass is made up of silica
• Halite
is rock salt used in cooking and
seasoning foods
Metamorphic Rocks
• Came from pre-existing rocks called parent rocks.
• The pre-existing rocks may undergo changes in the mineralogy,
texture (like grain size ) and chemical composition by the action of
heat, pressure and chemical agents.

Metamorphism – the process of transformation of parent rock

Agents of Metamorphism
1. Heat
 most important agent of metamorphism that may come from magma
rising from below
 Another source of heat is when the rocks formed at the surface of
Earth are transplanted to greater depth
 As rocks go deeper, temperature increases.
 Heat causes chemical reactions that result in recrystallization of
existing minerals and/or formation of new minerals.
2. Pressure
 like temperature, pressure increases with depth.
 Pressure causes the spaces between mineral grains in the buried
rocks to close, producing a more compact rock with higher density.
3. Chemically – active fluids
 these includes water, carbon dioxide and other volatile materials.
 They act as catalyst to promote crystallization by enhancing ion
migrations that may change the composition of the rock.
Common Metamorphic Rocks
Rock Name Description Parent Rock

Slate Foliated, fine grained Shale

Gneiss Foliated, medium coarse- Granite, Volcanic rock

grain

Marble Nonfoliated, medium- to Limestone

coarse- grained
• Common metamorphic rocks have
economic value.
• Slate
is used for roof, floor tile,
chalkboard and billiard tables.
• Marble is a popular building stone
because of its color
(pink,gray,green,black) and relative
softness.
• White
marble is used for statues and
monuments.