Per 3 Honors: Field Guide to Rocks (INCLUDE ROCK NUMBER)

Igneous Rocks

1. Rock Name: Scoria

Observable Characteristics: Vesicular, Dark Color, Light Density, Glassy
Environment of Formation: Extrusive(Volcanic), Forms above ground
Composition: Pyroxene, Olivine, Amphibole, Biotite, and Plagioclase Feldspar

2. Rock Name: Pegmatite

Observable Characteristics: Very Coarse Crystals, Non­Vesicular, Dense
Environment Formation: Intrusive (Plutonic), Forms underground, Forms by the melting and
crystallization of magma
Composition: Quartz, Feldspar, Biotite, Amphibole and Mica
3. Rock name: Pumice
Observable Characteristics: Vesicular, lighter in color, non crystalline to fine, lower density
(feels lighter)
Environment of formation: Extrusive (volcanic) forms on the surface

4. Rock name: Obsidian

Observable Characteristics: Non vesicular, glassy, non­crystalline, lighter but usually
appears black
Environment of formation: Extrusive (Volcanic) forms on the surface
5. Rock Name: Diorite
Observable Characteristics: coarse crystals; non­vesicular; intermediate rock
Environment of Formation: intrusive (plutonic); forms underground; forms by the melting
and crystallization of magma

6. Rock Name: Dunite

Observable Characteristics: coarse crystals; non­vesicular; composed of olivine; very
dense; dark/green color
Environment of Formation: intrusive (plutonic); forms underground; forms by the melting
and crystallization of magma
7. Rock Name: Gabbro
Observable Characteristics: coarse crystals; non­vesicular; darker color; dense
Environment of Formation: intrusive (plutonic); forms underground; forms by melting and
crystallization of magma
Composition: Plagioclase feldspar, biotite, pyroxene, amphibole, olivine

8. Rock Name: Basalt

Observable Characteristics: various colors, fine, non­vesicular, darker color
Environment of Formation: extrusive (volcanic); forms near/above ground; forms by melting
and crystallization of magma
Composition: Plagioclase feldspar, biotite, pyroxene, amphibole, olivine
9. Rock Name: Basaltic Glass
Observable Characteristics: glassy, black colored, fine crystals, non vesicular, crumbles
easily
Composition: plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, olivine, biotite, amphibole
Environment of Formation: extrusive (volcanic), forms above ground

10. Rock Name: Andesite

Observable Characteristics: fine, non vesicular, gray, white and black colored, fine crystals
Composition: quartz, plagioclase feldspar, biotite, amphibole
Environment of Formation: extrusive (volcanic), forms above ground
11. Rock Name: Basalt
Observable Characteristics: non­vesicular, fine crystals, dark color,
Environment of Formation: Extrusive (Volcanic), forms near/above ground

12. Rock Name: Granite

Observable Characteristics: coarse, non­vesicular, light color, low density
Environment of Formation: Intrusive (Plutonic), forms underground,forms from melting and
/or crystallization of magma
13. Rock Type: Vesicular Basalt
Observable Characteristics: Vesicular, Dark in color, Fine crystals
Environment of Foundation: Extrusive (Volcanic), Forms above ground
Composition: Plagioclase Feldspar, Pyroxene, Biotite, Amphibole, and Olivine

14. Rock Type: Rhyolite

Observable Characteristics: Non­vesicular, light in color, fine crystals
Environment of Foundation: Extrusive (volcanic), forms above ground
Composition: Potassium Feldspar, Quartz, Plagioclase Feldspar, Biotite, and Amphibole.
B. Sedimentary Rocks

15. Rock Name: Limestone

Observable Characteristics: l, bubbles with acid
Composition: Calcite
Environment of Formation: above ground, body of water

16. Rock Name: Coquina (Limestone)

Observable Characteristics: Cemented shell fragments, bubbles with acid
Composition: Calcite
Environment of formation: Body of water
17. Rock Name: Conglomerate
Observable characteristics: Rounded fragments; pebbles, composed of fragments of other
rocks
Environment of formation: Inorganic land derived sedimentary rock

18. Rock Name: Breccia

Observable Characteristics: Angular fragments; contains quartz
Environment of Formation: Inorganic Land­Derived Sedimentary Rock
19. Rock name: Bituminous Coal
Observable characteristics: Bioclastic, microscopic to very coarse and composed of carbon
Environment of formation:Compacted plant remains

20. Rock name: Rock Gypsum

Observable characteristics: Crystalline, fine to coarse crystals and composed of gypsum
Environment of formation: Crystals from chemical precipitates and evaporites
Rock number: 21
Rock Name: Dolostone
Observable Characteristic: pink color, coarse, and bubbles with acid.
Environment of Formation: Crystals from chemical precipitates and evaporites.

Rock number: 22
Rock name: Limestone
Observable Characteristic: compacted fragment, white to black coloration, and sea shells.
Environment of Formation: Precipitates of biologic origin or cemented shell fragments.
Composition: Calcite (bubbles with acid)
23)
Rock name: Siltstone
Observable characteristics: Very fine grained, feels silty, have fossils
Environment of formation: Inorganic land­derived
Composition: Mainly quartz, feldspar, and clay minerals: may contain fragments of other rocks
and minerals.

24)
Rock name: Shale
Observable characteristics: compact, has fossils, may split easily
Environment of formation: Inorganic land derived
Composition: Mainly quartz, feldspar, and clay minerals: may contain fragments of other rocks
and minerals.
25. Rock name: Sandstone
Observable characteristics: Very fine grained, clastic, sand­paper like
Environment of formation: Land­ derived and inorganic, either aboveground or in a body of
water close to the surface

26. Rock name: Rock Salt

Observable characteristics: Soft, Salty, Translucent, Coarse
Environment of Formation: Formed organically, from other animals/ organisms
C. Metamorphic Rocks

27. Rock Name: Schist

● Observable Characteristics: shiny, foliated mineral alignment, fine to
medium grain size, metamorphism of clay and feldspars, has small mica
crystals
● Environment of Formation: regional ­ formed by heat and pressure during
mountain building or continental collisions
● Composition: mica, quartz, feldspar, amphibole, garnet, and pyroxene
29. Rock Name: Slate
Observable Characteristics: Foliated, fine grained, composed of Mica
Environment of Formation: regional
Composition: Mica

30. Rock Type: Anthracite coal

Observable Characteristics: dark in color, glassy appearance, fine grained
Environment of Foundation: regional
Composition: bituminous coal
31. Rock Name: Gneiss
Observable Characteristics: medium to coarse grain size; foliated; mineral types segregated
into bands
Composition: mica, quartz, feldspar, amphibole, garnet, pyroxene
Environment of formation: regional

32. Rock Name: Schist

Observable Characteristics: shiny; fine to medium crystals; foliated; play mica crystals
visible from metamorphism of clay or feldspars
Composition: mica, quartz, feldspar, amphibole, garnet, and may contain pyroxene
Environment of Formation: regional
33. Rock Name: Quartzite
Observable Characteristics: Shiny, made of Quartz, fine to coarse grain size,
metamorphism of quartz sandstone; nonfoliated
Environment of Formation: Forms from quartz sandstone after undergoing significant
changes deep within the Earth; can be regional or contact

34. Rock Name: Marble

Observable Characteristics: Fine to Coarse grain size; made up of calcite and/or dolomite;
Metamorphism of limestone or dolostone; nonfoliated
Environment of Formation:Forms from limestone or dolostone after undergoing significant
changes deep within the Earth; can be regional or contact
 35. Rock Name: Pegmatite
Observable Characteristics: Very coarse grained, non­vesicular, very dense to not very
dense, dark to light.
Environment of formation: Intrusive plutonic
Composition: Potassium feldspar, Quartz, Plagioclase feldspar, biotite, and
amphibole

36. Rock Name: Oolitic Limestone

Observable Characteristics: Bubbles with acid, crystalline.
Composition: Calcite.
Environment of Formation: Typical warm, shallow sea­water deposit.