TYPES OF ROCKS

AND THEIR
PROPERTIES
Objectives
■ identify the three types of rocks;
■ classify rocks as to igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic rocks; and
■ appreciate the importance of rocks in our
daily life.
What is the difference?
 Rocks are any solid mass of mineral or
mineral-like matter occurring naturally as
part of our planet.
 ROCKS
Petrology is the scientific study of
rocks. Rocks are combined aggregation
of minerals. Petrologist classified rocks
based on how they were formed. In
general, rocks are classified as igneous,
sedimentary, and metamorphic rock.
Earth is a solid rock to a depth of 2,900
kilometers, where mantle meets the liquid
outer core. A 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.
Igneous rocks 
•from the cooling of magma – molten
materials in the earth’s crust.
•igneous means from fire or heat.
•Because of the extreme heat levels, igneous
rocks do not contain organic matter or fossils.
•The molten minerals interlock and
crystallize as the melt cools and form solid
materials
Igneous- formed from hardening and
crystallization of magma or molten material that
originates deep within the earth.
Two types of igneous rock:
A. Extrusive/Volcanic rock - forms when magma makes its
way to Earth’s surface as lava and then cools. The crystals are
very small (fine grained) since the cooling process is fast.
B. Intrusive/Plutonic - It cools slowly beneath the Earth surfac
and are created by magma. The intrusive igneous rocks have
very large crystals (coarse grained).
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
a.Aphanitic - fine grained  (a = not, phaner = visible) The individual crystals in
an aphanitic igneous rock are not distinguishable to the naked eye. 
b.Phaneritic-  (phaner = visible)coarse grained. The minerals in a phaneritic igneous rock
are sufficiently large to see each individual crystal with the naked eye.
c.Porphyritic- large crystals with small crystals
d.Glassy- non-ordered solid from rapid quenching. Glassy or vitreous textures occur
during some volcanic eruptions when the lava is quenched so rapidly that crystallization
cannot occur. The result is a natural amorphous glass with few or no crystals. Examples
include obsidian and pumice.
e.Pyroclastic-. Pyroclastic (pyro = igneous, clastic = fragment) textures occur when
explosive eruptions blast the lava into the air resulting in fragmental, typically glassy material
which fall as volcanic ash, lapilli and volcanic bombs. composite of ejected fragments
Metamorphism - transformation of one rock type
into another.
2 types of metamorphism
1. Regional-due to changes in pressure and
temperature over large region of the crust
2. Contact-mainly by heat due to contact with
magma
Classification:
a. Texture - refers to the size arrangement ad grains
within the rock.
b. Foliation - any planar arrangement of mineral
grains or structural features within the rock.
■ *foliated - appeared banded or layered, contains
crystals Example: mica
■ Non-foliated - made up of only few minerals
 Sedimentary Rocks
They are made up from the build up
of weathered and eroded pre-existing
rocks. Formed from sediment
deposits. Tiny debris from rock
masses and eroded mountains
together with soils, sand other
granite pieces are normally washed
from highlands to low areas.
Sedimentary rocks 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
a. Clastic Sedimentary rock - formed from accumulation of
clasts: little pieces of broken rocks and shells. Examples:
conglomerate, breccia, sandstone, shale
b. Chemical - formed when dissolved minerals precipitate from a
solution.
Example: Halite - formed when a body of seawater becomes
closed off and evaporates.
c. Organic - rocks formed from the accumulation of animal debris
Example: Coal - composed of organic matter in the form of plants
fragments.
 The rock
cycle is a
process in
which rocks are
continuously
transformed
between the
three rock types
igneous,
sedimentary and
metamorphic.
Exogenic Processes
This is a monument called
Cleopatra’s Needle. It was
carved in Egypt around
1450B.C. The sides are
carved with hieroglyphs, the
writing of ancient Egypt. It
stood in the dry, hot Egyptian
desert for over 3000 years.
During that time, the
hieroglyphs remained distinct.
In 1800, the monument
was moved to New York
City. Almost immediately,
the hieroglyphs began to
fade. In only a few years
in the wet and variable
climate of New York, the
Egyptian writing became
indistinct!
Cleopatra’s Needle was carved from
granite, a hard tough, crystalline rock.
 Although it is tough, granite is
changed by the atmosphere.
Some of the minerals that make up
granite change to clay.
Chips and flakes of minerals break
away from the granite surface.
Objectives
■ describe how rocks undergo weathering;
■ identify the agents of erosion; and
■ explain how the products of weathering are
carried away by erosion and deposited
elsewhere.
 Exogenic process
■ The earth’s surface is composed of water and
landmasses. The solid portion is made out of rocks and
minerals that could experience changes either
physically or chemically. The weathered materials are
transported by different agents from one place to
another and will settle down in a particular area. These
progressions that happen is achieved by forms called
exogenic processes. It includes weathering, erosion,
and deposition.
WEATHERING
 Types of Weathering

■Physical Weathering( mechanical)

– Takes place when rock is split or
broken into smaller pieces of the same
material without changing its
composition.
Example: Breaking of a rock cliff into
boulders and pebbles
Mechanical weathering or physical
weathering is the breakdown of rocks
into pieces without any change in its
composition. In this process, the size
and shape of rocks changes and this
occurs because of the following factors
shown in the table on the next slide.
Identify the factors of physical weathering
shown in each picture.
In chemical weathering, there are changes in the
composition of rocks due to the chemical
reactions presented below.
■ The chemical reaction of water with other
substances is called hydrolysis.
■ Common materials undergoing hydrolysis:
– Feldspar

– Hornblende

– Augite
■ The chemical reaction of oxygen with other
substances is called oxidation.
– Iron-bearing minerals are the ones most easily
attacked by oxygen.
– Examples:
■ Magnetite

■ Pyrite

■ Dark-colored ferromagnesian silicates

Agents of Chemical Weathering
■ Oxidation of these minerals results in kinds of
rust, or iron oxides.
■ Carbon dioxide dissolves easily in water.
– It forms a weak acid called carbonic acid
– This is the same compound that is in carbonated
drinks.
– Attacks many common minerals such as feldspar,
hornblende, augite and biotite mica.
– The original mineral is changed into a clay
mineral.
■ Hollows out great caverns in limestone bedrock.
■Acids are formed from the decay of plants
and animals.
■These acids are dissolved by rainwater and
carried through the ground to the bedrock.
■Carbon dioxide and sulfur compounds
released by industries unite with water in the
atmosphere to form acid rain.
■Increasing amounts of acid rain in the
environment increase the rate of chemical
weathering.
 Weathering is an important process in the formation
of soil. Soil is a mixture of grains, organic matter, H2O,
and gas. Plants, animals, and humans play an important
role in the erosional process. Erosion is the separation
and removal of weathered rocks due to different agents
like water, wind, and glacier that causes transportation of
the material to where they are deposited.
The movement of sediments downslope under the
influence of gravity is called mass wasting. The
example of this are fall, slide, avalanche, and flow.
On the other hand, deposition is the process in
which the weathered materials carried out by erosion
settle down in a particular location.
 Definition
Erode – means to wear away, to
diminish or destroy

sion – process or action

Erosion is the movement of weathered rocks
and soil particles from one place to another.
EROSION
■ Erosion= movement of sediment by
ice, wind, water, or gravity
■ Is erosion constructive, destructive, or both?
Why?
Erosion is a destructive force.
– Erosion wears down Earth’s gully
surface

river valley
 THERE ARE FIVE AGENTS
OF EROSION.

■GRAVITY
■GLACIERS
■WIND
■WATER
■WAVES