Types of Rocks
Jan 21, 2016
Types of Rocks
3 Basic Types
•Sedimentary •Igneous •Metamorphic
3 Types of Sedimentary Rocks
•Clastic•Chemical•Organic
Clastic Sedimentary Rock
• Sediments form when rocks are weathered and eroded
• Sediments are moved by wind, glaciers and water
• Most clastic sediments are deposited in the ocean
Clastic Sedimentary Rock
• Particle size is key to type of rock– Gravel is > 2 mm– Sand is 1/16 mm to 2 mm– Mud is < 1/16 mm
•Clay is < 4 um•Silt is > 4 um
Sandstone
Conglomerate
Shale
Chemically Precipitated Sedimentary Rock
• Ions released during chemical weathering are carried away in solution
• Inorganic Precipitates– Halite– Gypsum
• Organic precipitates– Silica (diatoms)– Calcium carbonate – shells - CaCO3
– Dolomite - CaMg(CO3)2
Halite
Gypsum
Diatomaceous Earth
Dolomite
Organic Sedimentary Rock
• Sediments or rocks consisting mostly or entirely from plant material– Peat– Coal
Bituminous Anthracite
Sedimentary Environments
• Lakes• Lower courses of rivers• Shallow ocean• Deep ocean
Extrusive & Intrusive Igneous Rocks
• Intrusive- Magma under the surface– Coarse-grained– Magma cools slowly and large crystals
grow over a long period of time– Gabbro, diorite, granite
Granite
Gabbro
Extrusive & Intrusive Igneous Rocks
• Extrusive- Lava at the surface– Fine-grained– Lava cools very quickly, consequently
crystals do not have time to grow and develop
– Basalt, andesite, rhyolite, obsidian
Basalt
Rhyolite
Obsidian
Explosive Volcanism
• Fragmented magma ejected explosively– Ash plumes– Pyroclastic flows
Pumice
Metamorphic Rocks
• Rocks change at the chemical level
• Grade of metamorphism• Shearing• Foliation
Nature of Metamorphism
• Changes take place while a solid• Due to heat and pressure• Protolith – original rock
Metamorphic Rocks
Foliated vs. Nonfoliated
Metamorphic Rocks
Foliated- Metamorphic rock in which minerals have been rearranged into visible bands.
Schist
Gneiss
Slate
Metamorphic Rocks
Nonfoliated- Metamorphic rock that does not show bands.
Marble
Quartzite
Regional vs. Contact Metamorphism
• Regional• Contact (or thermal)
Contact Metamorphism