Igneous

▪ Think of “ignite”
▪ To light a fire
▪ Igneous rock comes from the
heat within Earth: Geothermal
 How are Igneous Rocks
Classified?
Igneous rocks are classified
by:
▪ 1. Mineral Composition
▪ 2. Crystal Size (Texture)
 Igneous Rock Formation
🡪Most Igneous rocks form directly
from Magma which is hot, molten
rock
▪ Granite is the most common igneous
rock, it cooled from magma

Igneous rocks can also form from lava

3. First Classification of Magma:
Felsic
▪ Is rich in Silica (SiO2)
▪ Small amounts of Ca, Fe, Mg (Calcium,
Iron, & Magnesium)
▪ Slow-moving, thick= HIGH VISCOSITY
(resistance to flowing)
▪ Crystallizes to light-colored minerals
▪ Resulting rocks have relatively low density
▪ Felsic rocks make up the continents
Examples of FELSIC igneous rocks

Rhyolite Pumice
4. Second Classification of Magma:
Mafic
▪ Low amounts of Silica (SiO2)
▪ Fe and Mg rich (Iron and Magnesium)
▪ Fast-moving, thinner= LOW Viscosity:
less resistance to flowing, more fluid
▪ Crystallize to dark-colored minerals
▪ Resulting rocks have relatively high
density
▪ Mafic rocks make up the ocean floors
Mafic Igneous Rock examples:

Basalt Gabbro
(ocean floor)
 Igneous Rocks Crystal Size
▪ 2 types of Igneous Rocks
▪ Intrusive – when magma cools and
hardens under the Earth’s surface
▪ Extrusive – when lava cools and
hardens on the Earth’s surface
▪ Can be described in 2 ways
▪ Texture
▪ Mineral Content
 Texture Intrusive
▪ The size of the crystals (or
minerals) in the rock
▪ Coarse-grained – large crystals,
slow cooling
▪ Cools underground
▪ Magma
▪ Ex. – Granite
 Texture Extrusive
▪ Fine-grained – small crystals, fast
cooling
▪ Cools on the surface
▪ Lava
▪ Ex. – Basalt
 Texture Extrusive
▪ Porous (or spongy) – very fast cooling
with trapped gases escaping; forms
small or no crystals
▪ Cools on the surface
▪ Lava
▪ Ex. – Pumice, Scoria
 Texture Extrusive
▪ Glassy – cooled so quickly that no
crystals formed (looks like glass)
▪ Cools on the surface
▪ Lava
▪ Ex. – Obsidian
 Texture
▪ Porphyritic – 2 sizes of crystals (both
large & small)
▪ Begins cooling underground, finishes
cooling on the surface
▪ Ex. – Andesite Porphyry
 Mineral Content
Felsic Mafic
 Note Analysis
1. Describe the difference between
intrusive and extrusive rocks.
2. Are rocks that come from magma
intrusive or extrusive?
3. Explain your answer to 2.
4. Describe the following rocks as
intrusive or extrusive or both:
Obsidian, Granite, Andesite Porphyry,
Pumice, and Basalt.
5. Why is Andesite Porphyry
considered both intrusive and
extrusive?
 Closure
▪ Look back at your rock from the
beginning of class. Use the
information you learned today to
answer the following three
questions.
1.Is your rock intrusive or extrusive
and how do you know?
2.Is your rock Felsic or Mafic and how
do you know?
3.Where do you think your rock was
formed?