Lesson 4: Classification of Rocks

Objectives:
In this lesson, you will learn to:

1. Define the three different categories of rocks

2. Describe each type of rock, its properties and how it is formed

Categories of Rocks
In the last module, we got an idea of materials and resources that can be found on Earth.
One of the most abundant materials that can be found in our planet today is rocks. Rocks occur
everywhere, and they come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and compositions.

Rocks are classified into three different categories: igneous, sedimentary, arid
metamorphic. This module is going to tackle the igneous rock, how it is formed, and its properties.

Igneous Rock
Igneous rock originated from the Latin word ignis, which means "fire". This explains a lot
about how this type of rock is formed: it is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma
or lava.

Igneous rocks are the starting point in the rock cycle. That is, the materials that make up
the other two types of rocks, the sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, are derived from a source
that is igneous. Igneous rocks are found on the earths mantle. It can be said that 70% of the earths
mass and 80% of the earth's volume consists of mantle rocks. Igneous rocks are derived from the
convection in the earth's mantle, and the source of heat energy for this convection is found in the
radioactive isotopes of potassium, uranium, and thorium. The types of rocks that contribute to
the amount of energy in terms of heat energy per unit mass are granites. Peridotites do not
contribute much heat. Therefore, the former makes up much of the crustal rocks. The internal
heat of the earth may have come from the radioactive decay of potassium.

One obvious consequence of the heat in the earths interior is the presence of volcano on
the earths surface. Volcanic rocks are products of volcanoes and they have three important
characteristics: 1) they crystallize in the surface of the earth; 2) they are commonly fine-grained;
and 3) they rest on top of older rocks rather than cut across them. Volcanic rocks are an example
of igneous rocks, which are formed from an exothermic process. These rocks start out in the liquid
state and then become solid.

Types of Igneous rocks

Igneous rocks are classified into two types: extrusive and intrusive. Extrusive igneous
rocks include all the products resulting from eruptions of lava. Intrusive igneous rocks, on the
other hand, are those that have solidified below ground.

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 Extrusive Igneous rock (Volcanic rock)

The obsidian, an
extrusive igneous rock,
forms when .171 often

rock material cools so

rapidly that atoms are
unable to arrange
themselves into a
crystalline structure.

Extrusive igneous rocks are also known as volcanic rocks. This is because they form when
the magma reaches the Earth's surface through a volcanic eruption, cools down and solidifies
quickly to form into a rock. Since they are on the surface, they tend to cool down quickly and end
up with smaller or fine grains. Examples of extrusive igneous rocks are obsidian (see image above),
basalt, rhyolite, and andesite.

Intrusive Igneous Rock (Plutonic rock)

The granite (right) is

a light-colored
plutonic rock with
grains large enough
to be seen by the
naked eye. /t is
composed mainly of
quartz and feldspar
with minor amounts
of mica, amphiboles,
and other minerals.

Intrusive igneous rocks are also known as Plutonic rocks, after the Greek god of the
underworld. This is because they have solidified below ground. Since they have solidified below
ground, they tend to have larger grains compared to extrusive igneous rocks. Examples of plutonic
rocks are Gabbro, Diorite, Granodiorite, and Granite (see picture above).

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Sedimentary Rocks

While igneous rocks are created from the cooling of magma, sedimentary rocks are
classified as secondary rocks because they come from igneous rocks. Sedimentary rocks are
formed when the silicate materials in igneous rocks undergo changes and break down, a process
which is called weathering.

Sedimentary are also secondary because they come from the aggregation of pebbles and
sand that have been compacted over time to form rocks. In sedimentary rock, there are three
types of grains: coarse, medium, and fine. These grains are classified depending on the size of the
grains.

Classification of Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks are also classified into three types: clastic, chemical, and organic (or
biogenic).

Clastic rocks are basic sedimentary rocks and they have been created from "clasts"
which are little pieces of rocks that have been compacted and cemented to become larger pieces.

Left: The breccia, Cf

type of clastic
sedimentary rock,
consists of large
an gular fragments

Clastic sedimentary rocks are formed due to the pressure of two or more rocks pressed
together and compacted. The individual sand grains are glued together by minerals such as calcite
(calcium carbonate) and hematite iron oxide) that are precipitated out of ground water that
travels between sand grains. Clastic rocks vary in size, shape, and the rock pieces which they are
made of.

There are various types of clastic sedimentary rocks. Conglomerate, Breccia,

Sandstone Siltstone„ and Shale are clastic sedimentary rocks that come in different
particle sizes.

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 Chemical rocks are formed when water evaporates.
Si mply put, they are created through the process of chemical
precipitation.

If clastic sedimentary rocks are mainly of components

that have been transported as solid clasts, chemical
sedimentary rocks are mostly made of components that have
been transported as ions in solution.

Chemical rocks come in different types: limestone,

chert and banded iron formations, and rocks that form when
This rock salt (above) is an example
bodies of water evaporate, also known as evaporites. Of all
of an evaporite, it crystallizes as
these chemical sedimentary rocks, the most com mon would
the water continuously evaporates.
be limestone, which is commonly formed in the oceans.

Organic sedimentary rocks are rocks that contain

shell fragments or fossils. They owe their existence to
biological processes forming from the accumulation of plant
or animal debris.

When the remains of living organisms are deposited

in thick layers and undergo the process of lithification, or the
compacting of sediments under pressure until they form into
a solid organic sedimentary rock. This process often takes a
long time. Coal, for instance, is made up of plant remains that
were squashed deep underground over millions of years. It is
Organic sedimentary rocks, like the for this reason that it is difficult to see the plant fossils within
image above, are made up of remains of coal: the plant remains have become so compact after such a
organisms that have been compacted for long time that the less stable materials in it are already gone,
years until they became a solid rock. and all that is left would be carbon.

Other examples of organic sedimentary rock are

shale, lignite and certain types of limestone.

Metamorphic Rock

When rocks are subjected to mechanical forces as well as to extreme physical conditions,
such as temperature, they become metamorphic rocks. This group of rocks include all other types
of rocks, namely, igneous and sedimentary. Metamorphism occurs when the rocks are in the solid
state. The transition between metamorphic rocks and igneous rocks are marked by the melting
point of the rock. Below this melting temperature, the rock will become metamorphic.

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 The mechanical deformation of rocks concerns tectonic processes. The word tectonic
means the mechanical processes by which rocks are build up into complexities. There are two
types of metamorphism: contact metamorphism and regional metamorphism. The latter applies
to large sections of rock while the former applies to small sections of contact.

The gneiss is an example of a metamorphic rock. it is known

to typically contain quartz or feldspar- minerals.

There are two types of metamorphic rock: the foliated metamorphic rock and the non-
foliated metamorphic rock. Foliated metamorphic rocks appear to have bands or layers, which
are produced by exposure to heat and directed pressure. Examples of metamorphic rocks include
gneiss, phyllite, schist, and slate.

Non-foliated metamorphic rocks, on the other hand, do not have a layered or banded
appearance. Examples of non-foliated metamorphic rock include hornfels, marble, quartzite and
novaculite.

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References:

Bryson, Bill. (2004). A Short History of Nearly Everything. New York: Broadway Books,

Tarbuck, E.J. & Lutgens, F.K. (2002). Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, New Jersey: Prentice

Hall.

[Link]: Geoscience News and Information. Retrieved from: http:[Link]

Chemical Sedimentary Rocks. Retrieved from:

httia:[Link] [Link]

Earle, Steven. Physical Geology. Retrieved from: https:[Link]