
Examples of igneous rocks
- Granite (plutonic): gray or light red. Composed of quartz, potassium feldspar and mica.
- Porphyry (plutonic): dark red. ...
- Gabbro (plutonic): thick texture. ...
- Sienite (plutonic): it is distinguished from granite because it does not contain quartz. ...
- Diorite (plutonic): intermediate composition: two thirds of plagioclase and one third of dark minerals.
- Peridotite (plutonic): dark colored and high density. ...
What are some examples of igneous and sedimentary rocks?
Examples of igneous rocks include obsidian (volcanic glass), pumice, and basalt. Examples of sedimentary rocks include sandstone, limestone, shale, and siltstone.
Which of the following is an example of sedimentary rock?
Such rocks are characterised by the presence of distinct sediments or layers in them. Some examples of sedimentary rocks are limestone, shale, conglomerate, clays, quartz and dolomite are the common dominant mineralsinthem. Sedimentary rocks do not weather as rapidly as the igneous rocks. 3. Metamorphic Rocks:
How are metamorphic rocks formed?
Metamorphic Rocks emerge from either igneous or sedimentary rocks. These rocks are formed due to the transformation of existing rock types, in a process called metamorphism (change in form).
What are the different types of rocks?
To aid in their study of the earth, geologists group rocks into three categories based on their origin: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Each category is then further subdivided. About 27,000 years ago, lava flowed on top of the Navajo Sandstone, forming black “ropey” basalt in Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County.

What are three examples of igneous rock?
Rock Types Obsidian - Black or dark-colored volcanic glass, usually of rhyolite composition. Basaltic glass is very rare because basalt devitrifies (converts from glass to crystalline material) easily, whereas rhyolite glass does not. Scoria – A very vesicular pyroclastic rock usually of basaltic composition.
What are some metamorphic rock examples?
Common metamorphic rocks include phyllite, schist, gneiss, quartzite and marble.
What are the examples of sedimentary rocks?
Common sedimentary rocks include sandstone, limestone, and shale. These rocks often start as sediments carried in rivers and deposited in lakes and oceans. When buried, the sediments lose water and become cemented to form rock.
Where are sedimentary metamorphic and igneous rocks found?
Sedimentary rocks are formed on or near the Earth's surface, in contrast to metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are formed deep within the Earth.
What are the 3 types of rocks and examples?
Igneous rocks are formed from melted rock deep inside the Earth. Sedimentary rocks are formed from layers of sand, silt, dead plants, and animal skeletons. Metamorphic rocks formed from other rocks that are changed by heat and pressure underground.
What are the 2 types of metamorphic rocks?
Metamorphic rocks are broadly classified as foliated or non-foliated. Non-foliated metamorphic rocks do not have aligned mineral crystals. Non-foliated rocks form when pressure is uniform, or near the surface where pressure is very low.
What are the 7 sedimentary rocks?
Examples include: breccia, conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and shale. Chemical sedimentary rocks form when dissolved materials preciptate from solution. Examples include: chert, some dolomites, flint, iron ore, limestones, and rock salt.
What are the 4 main types of sedimentary rocks?
The accumulation of plant matter, such as at the bottom of a swamp, is referred to as organic sedimentation. Thus, there are 4 major types of sedimentary rocks: Clastic Sedimentary Rocks, Chemical Sedimentary Rocks, Biochemical Sedimentary Rocks, and Organic Sedimentary Rocks.
What are 5 sedimentary rocks and their uses?
Oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium, our major energy resources, are formed in and come from sedimentary rocks. Sand and gravel for construction come from sediment. Sandstone and limestone are used for building stone. Rock gypsum is used to make plaster.
Where are metamorphic rocks found?
We often find metamorphic rocks in mountain ranges where high pressures squeezed the rocks together and they piled up to form ranges such as the Himalayas, Alps, and the Rocky Mountains. Metamorphic rocks are forming deep in the core of these mountain ranges.
Is marble A igneous sedimentary or metamorphic rock?
metamorphic rockMarble is a type of metamorphic rock which is formed when limestone gets metamorphosed. Usually, metamorphic rocks are formed by the transformation of igneous and sedimentary rock due to the effect of heat and pressure under the surface of the earth.
Where are igneous rocks found?
Igneous rocks form when magma (molten rock) cools and crystallizes, either at volcanoes on the surface of the Earth or while the melted rock is still inside the crust. All magma develops underground, in the lower crust or upper mantle, because of the intense heat there.
What is the most common metamorphic rock?
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).
Is diamond a metamorphic rock?
Diamonds are a type of metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rock is created when sedimentary or igneous rock changes as a result of high pressure and heat acting on the rocks. Metamorphic rocks have the characteristic of being hard and containing crystals. Diamonds are the hardest material on Earth.
Is granite a metamorphic?
Granite is an igneous rock that forms when magma cools relatively slowly underground. It is usually composed primarily of the minerals quartz, feldspar, and mica. When granite is subjected to intense heat and pressure, it changes into a metamorphic rock called gneiss.
Is marble A metamorphic rock?
The main difference between limestone and marble is that limestone is a sedimentary rock, typically composed of calcium carbonate fossils, and marble is a metamorphic rock.
Igneous Rock
Due to various reasons for example tectonic movements of plates, crustal loading, density differences, etc. the magma is forced upwards on the surface as lava through the crust along lines of weakness.
Metamorphic Rocks
This type of rock is generally a modified form of Igneous, Sedimentary, or previous Metamorphic rock by various external weather conditions like temperature, pressure, and volume, etc. and for such reason, the appearance, texture, and composition of rocks were changed from the previous characteristics.
Sedimentary Rocks
These types of rocks are found over about 70% are of the Earth’s upper surface and formed through a series of processes, in the very early stage weathered materials are transported by exogenic agents and in the later time phase, it is deposited at the lower gradient and suitable climate conditions as unconsolidated debris or sediments.
What is the name of the rock that is found on the southwestern flank of the Sheeprock Mountains?
Granite: Granite is the intrusive equivalent of rhyolite but has a coarser texture. A 12-square-mile outcrop of granite is visible on the southwestern flank of the Sheeprock Mountains, Tooele and Juab Counties.
What is shale in Utah?
Shale: Shale is lithified clay and consists of layers that typically break into thin sheets. A well-known shale formation is the Wheeler Shale of the House Range, Millard County, which contains numerous Cambrian Period (500 to 570 million years ago) trilobite fossils that are found by splitting the shale along its layers. Another shale formation is the widespread Mancos Shale, visible along Utah State Highway 6 between Price and Interstate 70, Carbon and Emery Counties.
What is a rhyolite?
Rhyolite: Rhyolite is typically a fine-grained, white, pink, or gray rock, high in quartz and feldspar content with some amphibole and biotite. A well-known example is the Topaz Mountain rhyolite in the Thomas Range, Juab County.
How long did sediment accumulate in Utah?
As sediment accumulates with time (thousands of years) it becomes compacted and cemented (lithified), eventually forming rock. Over a period spanning hundreds of millions of years, oceans, rivers, and great deserts covered Utah and deposited the sediment that has lithified into the sedimentary rocks we see today.
What is the rock at the base of Notch Peak?
Near the base of Notch Peak, pink Jurassic-age granite interfingers with much older thinly bedded gray argillite and white marble of the Cambrian-age Marjum Formation. Deep in the Earth’s crust 170 million years ago, high heat and fluids from the granite metamorphosed the surrounding rock, turning limestone into marble and shale into argillite. House Range, Millard County Photographer: Mark Milligan; © 2014
Why do igneous rocks have a fine texture?
Extrusive igneous rocks typically have a fine-grained texture (individual minerals are not visible unless magnified) because the lava cools rapidly when exposed to the atmosphere, preventing crystal growth. Common extrusive rocks are basalt, andesite, and rhyolite.
What are the two main processes that make up sedimentary rocks?
Sedimentary Rocks. Erosion and deposition play a key part in the formation of sedimentary rocks. Wind, water, ice, and chemicals break down existing rock into sediment that is then transported and deposited by wind, water, and glaciers.
What are some examples of igneous rocks?
these are very strong rocks and examples include Granite, diorite, gabro, peridotite, obsidian, basalt, pumic, andisite, biodite.
What are some examples of metamorphic rocks?
Examples of metamorphic rocks include marble, garnet, and slate.
Why are metamorphic rocks so hard?
Metamorphic rocks are hard which makes them durable. The mineral grains are tightly packed by heat and pressure. The grains are melted to gather by this process. There isn't any space between the grains to cause weakness or allow water to penetrate the rock. If water got into the rock it would cause chemical weathering and create the possibility of freezing and mechanical failure.
What type of rock is gold fragments?
sedimentary rocks, where gold fragments were part of the sediments as they were being deposited.
What is sedimentary deposited in?
Sedimentary - deposited in layers, usually (but not always) by water - sandstones, limestones, shales.
What articles are on microlites?
Some articles on microlites may be found here: Cooling and crystallization of rhyolite–obsidian lava: Insights from micron-scale projections on plagioclase microlites, here: DEFORMATION FLOW BANDING IN OBSIDIAN, and here: Rhyolitic eruptions | Keck Geology Consortium, for starters.
How is gold formed?
In that case, the gold formed somewhere else - usually as gold/silver veins in quartz deposited by (again) hydrothermal fluids (this sort of gold is usually called ‘epithermal vein deposits’) and then those gold-bearing quartz veins are weathered, broken, eroded and the gold is transported by water (typically) into streams and rivers, where the gold particles are simply part of the sediments moved by streams and rivers, until deposited.
What are extrusive rocks made of?
They are composed of primary minerals such as quartz, feldspars and biotite, augite and hornblende. 2.
How are igneous rocks formed?
Igneous Rocks: These are formed by cooling and solidification of molten magma or lava which escapes through fissures from the interior of the earth. The solidification may occur at great depths resulting in the plutonic rocks, or at moderate depthinthe earth forming the so-called intrusive rocks or on the surface of the earth forming ...
What are the two types of rocks that are formed by gradual accumulation and consolidation of weathering product or mineral particles?
2. Sedimentary Rocks: These develop due to gradual accumulation and consolidation of weathering product or mineral particles brought by wind or water on the surface of earth. Such rocks are characterised by the presence of distinct sediments or layers in them.
What are the three types of soil?
Soil Types: Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks. Read this article to learn about Soil Types: Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks! Rocks are generally classified into three types on the basis of their origin and structure.
Do sedimentary rocks weather?
Sedimentary rocks do not weather as rapidly as the igneous rocks. 3. Metamorphic Rocks: These are formed after transformation of igneous and sedimentary rocks when they are subjected to intense heat and pressure and are influenced chemically by active and gases.
What is an extrusive rock?
Obsidian Rock. One example of extrusive igneous rock — an igneous rock that cools above the surface of the ground rather than beneath — is obsidian. Obsidian is smooth like glass and usually jet black, although it can be seen in a variety of colors.
What is rhyolite used for?
Eruptions of rhyolite often create the igneous rocks obsidian and pumice. Rhyolite is used to manufacture stone tools but is too soft to be an effective stone tool itself. Advertisement.
What is pumice in soap?
Pumice is a light-colored and lightweight igneous rock ejected from a volcano at very high heat and pressure. Gases escape as the rock hardens, leaving bubbles and holes throughout the rock, and resulting in its light weight. Crushed pumice is often added to soaps to clean and exfoliate.
What is tuff rock?
Tuff Rock. Most rocks are tough, but only one is tuff, an igneous rock that forms from materials ejected from a volcano that solidify. It is made largely from ash and cinder. Some call tuff by the name "tufa," especially the tuff that is used as a building material. Advertisement.
What is the name of the rock that is made of a variety of minerals?
Andesite (pictured above), named after the Andes Mountains, is an extrusive igneous rock made from a variety of minerals. One of its main components, plagioclase, is a mineral that is found in the rocks of the Earth’s moon. It is often found alongside volcanic ash and tuff, and can be used as aggregate or fill in construction.
What is the name of the rock that forms below the Earth's surface?
Pegmatite Rock. Pegmatite is a crystalline igneous rock that forms below the Earth’s surface. One of the things that makes it visually striking is its large crystals, similar to granite. It forms during the latter phases of magma chamber crystallization and sometimes contains rare minerals.
What is dacite rock?
Dacite is a rock that is formed from large volcanic eruptions. It has a high silica content and a high crystal content, which make it prone to a violent eruption. In fact, dacite domes from earlier eruptions exploded in the catastrophic eruption of Mount Saint Helens in Washington State in 1980. Dacite contains more quartz than andesite ...
1. Soapstone
Soapstone is a soft, dense heat resistant rock. The metamorphism of ultramafic protoliths forms it.
2. Marble
Marble is formed from the metamorphism of limestone. It is mainly composed of calcium carbonate.
3. Amphibolite
Amphibolite is formed from the re-crystallization of igneous rocks such as marl.
4. Slate
Slate is derived from shale sedimentary rock (it is a fine-grained dull rock). Its main component is clay and volcanic ash.
5. Quartz
Quartz is produced from the metamorphism of sandstone. It is a hard crystalline rock. It is mainly composed of silicon dioxide.
6. Phyllite
Phyllite is formed when sedimentary rocks are altered by heat and pressure. It is foliated with a shiny surface.
7. Schist
Schist is formed when regional metamorphism occurs on sedimentary rocks.