Identifying Common Igneous Rocks

Igneous rocks are composed of a variety of minerals

that contribute important classification characteristics.

Click here to see two classification methods

Step 1: Describe the rocks texture

Coarse

Fine

Step 2: Describe the rocks color.

Light Color

Intermediate
Color

Dark Color

Step 3: Where does this place you on the chart and

what is the name of this igneous rock?
Click on a name in the chart to find out if you are correct.

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Step 1: Describe the rocks texture

Coarse

Fine

Step 2: Describe the rocks color.

Light Color

Intermediate
Color

Dark Color

Step 3: Where does this place you on the chart

and what is the name of this igneous rock?
Click on the name to find out if you are correct.

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Step 1: Describe the rocks texture

Coarse

Fine

Step 2: Describe the rocks color.

Light Color

Intermediate
Color

Dark Color

Step 3: Where does this place you on the chart and

what is the name of this igneous rock?
Click on the name to find out if you are correct.

Back

Next

Step 1: Describe the rocks texture

Coarse

Fine

Step 2: Describe the rocks color.

Light Color

Intermediate
Color

Dark Color

Step 3: Where does this place you on the chart and

what is the name of this igneous rock?
Click on the name to find out if you are correct.

Back

Next

Step 1: Describe the rocks texture

Coarse

Fine

Step 2: Describe the rocks color.

Light Color

Intermediate
Color

Dark Color

Step 3: Where does this place you on the chart

and what is the name of this igneous rock?
Click on the name to find out if you are correct

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Step 1: Describe the rocks texture

Large Crystals

Small Crystals

Step 2: Describe the rocks color.

Light Color

Intermediate
Color

Dark Color

Step 3: This rock is known for its salt and pepper appearance.
Step 4: Where does this place you on the chart
and what is the name of this igneous rock?
Click on the name to find out if you are correct

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These three igneous rocks are not on the texture vs. color chart.
Can you pick out the characteristic that helps identify each one?
This is light colored PUMICE.
Which term best describes its texture?

Vesicular

Or

Glassy

Vesicular? Click here

This is dark colored SCORIA.
Which term best describes its texture?

Vesicular

Or

Glassy

Pumice and scoria are both full of empty gas voids. In pumice, the tiny voids are
not well interconnected. The larger ones in scoria are interconnected. Is this
Pumice
enough of a hint to figure out pumices unique characteristic?
See answer!
floats on
water!
This is black OBSIDIAN.
Which term best describes its texture?

Vesicular

Or

Glassy

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Igneous Rock Texture, Cooling Rate, and Origin Location

In most cases, the texture of an igneous rock provides a clue that suggests how quickly, in relative terms of fast vs. slow, the molten
magma or lava took to cool into solid rock. The concept is really simple:
The slower the molten material cooled, the coarser the texture of the igneous rock.
An extension of this idea is that molten magma or lava will cool differently depending on physical location.
Lava, molten rock expelled onto Earths surface, will cool relatively quickly.
On the other hand, magma, molten rock trapped inside Earth, will cool much more slowly.
Can you develop a simple conceptual model that explains this phenomena?

Click here to check your idea

Think you understand? Complete the following sentence by clicking on the correct response.
magma

Basalt, a fine grained igneous rock formed as a molten mass of

on Earths surface.

cooled
lava

inside Earth.

You should be able to construct a similar sentence for the coarse grained igneous rocks, such as granite.
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Now for the really good stuff!!

The mineral composition and chemistry of rhyolite and
granite are the same! The only difference is their
texture due to cooling rate. Which is the intrusive
version? Click a photograph below to confirm your
answer

Granite

Rhyolite

The mineral composition and chemistry of gabbro and

basalt are the same. The only difference is their cooling
rate. Which is the extrusive version? Click a photograph
below to confirm your answer.

Gabbro

Basalt

Obsidian is a well known volcanic rock. Its texture is fine grained and
looks like glass. It also breaks with the same kind of unique conchoidal
fracture pattern that glass does. Is obsidian intrusive or extrusive? What
event(s) had to transpire to turn molten rock into a hunk of black glass?
And, whats conchoidal? Time for you to do some research on your own.
Obsidian

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Almost done!
Apply your knowledge of igneous rocks.
1.

Print the next page.

2.

Name the five igneous rocks. Write the name of the rock beside it on your printed page.

3.

Ask your teacher to verify your decision.

4.

Be prepared to explain the process you used to identify each rock.

5.

The pictures are new. Dont memorize images of rocks, use the process of characteristics.

6.

The last page is an expanded version of the igneous rock chart. It may be of help.

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This is ___________________

This is ___________________

This is ___________________

This is ___________________

This is ___________________
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