GM 410 IGNEOUS AND METAMORPHIC

PETROLOGY
Classification and nomenclature of igneous rocks
• The preferred method for classifying any rock type be it igneous,
metamorphic or sedimentary is texture and composition (usually
mineralogical composition)
• Textural criteria are commonly considered first as textures
provide best evidence for rock origin and allow for broadest
genetic classifications.
• The first step in igneous rock description is to determine if the
rock falls in any of the following categories
1. Phaneritic
• The crystals that compose the rock are readily visible with the
naked eye.
2. Aphanitic
• The crystals if any are too small to be seen with the naked eye
3. Fragmental
• The rock is composed of pieces of disaggregated igneous material, deposited
and later amalgamated . The fragments themselves may include pieces of
pre-existing (predominantly igneous) rock, crystal fragments or glass.
Texture and rock formation
• Plutonic or extrusive: Phaneritic texture, crystallised slowly beneath the earth’s crust
• Volcanic or extrusive: Aphanitic texture, crystallised rapiedly at the Earths’s surface
• Fragmental: Collectively called pyroclastic
• Some rocks described as phaneritic or aphanitic are relatively equigranular (of
uniform size).
• Others exhibit a range of grain sizes because the different minerals in the rock may
somewhat have experienced different growth rates.
• If a rock displays a texture where there are two dominant grain sizes that vary by
significant amount, the texture is called porphyritic. The larger crystals are called
phenocrysts and formed during periods of slower cooling. The finer crystals are
referred to as groundmass. Whether such rocks are considered plutonic or volcanis
is based on the grain size of the groundmass.
• Porphyritic rocks commonly result when when magma expericnces two distinct
cooling phases. This is most common in volcanics in which the phenocrysts form in
the slow cooling magma chamber and the finer groundmass forms upon eruption
Compositional terms
• Nearly all igneous rocks are composed principally of silicate minerals,
which are most commonly those included in Bowen’s Series: Quartz,
plagioclase, alkali feldspar, muscovite, biotite, hornblende, pyroxene
and olivine
• The first four (and any feldspathoid present) are felsic minerals (from
feldspar + silica). The latter four are mafic (from magnesium + ferric
iron)
• Generally, felsic refer to light coloured silicates whereas mafic refers
to the darker ones
• Some minerals are present in rocks only in small quantities and are
reffered to as accessory minerals e.g. apatite, zircon, sphene, epidote
• The composition of igneous rocks can be described in a variety of ways. Most geologist agree
that the best way to form the compositional basis for classification of igneous rocks is to use the
exact mineral content
• A number of descriptive terms however are not meant to name specific rocka but rather to
emphasise some compositional aspets of the rocks
• Most of these terms address similar but not equivalent compositional parameters, resulting at
times in confusions, e.g. felsic/mafic are commonly not only applied to minerals but to rocks as
well.
• Felsic then describes a rock composed of predominantly felsic minerals whereas mafic describe a
rock composed predominantly of mafic minerals
• Ultramafic refers to a rock composed of over 90% mafic minerals
• Similar but not equivalent terms are leucocratic meaning light coloured rock and melanocratic
meaning dark coloured rock
• The first two terms are based on mineral content and the latter on colour
• Rocks composed of felsic minerals will surely be light coloured (leucocratic)
• Terms such as mafic that are defined by colour yet have chemical implications can be confusing.
When plagioclase becomes more calcitic it commonly become grey or black. Smocky quartz is
• Purely chemical terms such as silicic (SiO2), magnesian (MgO), alkaline
(NaO + K2O) or aluminous (Al2O3) when the content of one of these is
particularly high.
• Silica content is of prime importance and the term acidic is synonymous
with silicic.
• Acidic is still used although it is based on an outdated concept that silicic
acid is the form of silica in solution, even in melts, the term is still in use.
• The opposite of silicic is basic and the spectrum of slica content in rocks
has been subdivided as follows:
Acidic: > 66 wt. % SiO2
Intermediate: 52-66 wt. % SiO2
Basic: 45-52 wt. % SiO2
Ultrabasic: <45 wt. % SiO2
• Because the concept behind “acidic” and “basic” os not accurate, many
petrologists consider these terms outdated but some still take them as
useful.
• Another problem arises when we attempt to refer to the composition of a
melt. We say mafic magmas and felsic magmas, but there are no minerals
in these media?
• Colour is not good for compositional measure because black obsidian is
actually quite silicic. Basic could be used here
• North American geologist consider the terms mafic and felsic appropriate
compositional terms and prefer to call dark magma mafic rather than basic
• British geologist prefer to use basic and acidic to refer to magmas because
they are appropriately used to refer to composition and not mineralogy
• Others escape this problem by naming the magma after the rock it forms
e.g. basaltic magmas, basic magmas etc.
Pyroclastic rocks
• Using chemical composition to classify pyroclastic rocks is tricky
because of the heterogenous nature of these rocks
• Pyroclastics are thus commonly classified on the basis of the type of
fragmental material (collectively called pyroclasts) or on the size of
the fragments (in addition to chemical or modal composition if
possible). If the type of material is to be the basis for classifying
fragmental rocks, then the volume percent of glass, rock fragments
and crystal fragments is determined and derived from the figure A
• If fragment size is the basis, then determine the percentage of the
fragments that fall into each of the following categories:
>64mm diameter
Bombs (if molten during fragmentation )
Blocks (if not)
2-64 mm Lapilli
< 2mm Ash
• Agglomerate can be used for coherent or incoherent material although
most geologist restrict the pyroclastic breccia to coherent material.