Common Characteristics of Rocks

1. Hardness
2. Lustre
3. Color
4. Crystal Structure
5. Streak
6. Cleavage and Fracture
Types of Rocks & Common Characteristics
1. Igneous Rocks
- The name igneous is coined after ignis, a Latin word meaning fire.
- Produced by the crystallization and solidification of molten magma.
- The prime characteristics of igneous rocks used for identification purposes are color and size of
crystals.
- The most abundant rock in the earth's crust.
- Oldest type of rocks on earth.
- Very hard and resistant to elevated temperature conditions.
- Absence of fossils.
- Made up of different types of minerals.
- Rate of crystallization influences a lot in defining texture of igneous rocks.
- Can be intrusive or extrusive.
2. Metamorphic Rocks
- Metamorphism involves the alteration of existing rocks by either excessive heat and pressure, or
through the chemical action of fluids.
- Form the base material at the core of the Earth's major continental masses.
- Occurs only along the tectonic plate faults.
- Low grade.
- The rock circulation results in huge number of mineral water chemical reactions.
3. Sedimentary Rocks
- Categorized into three groups based on sediment type:
- Some are lithified into some collective mass.
- Lithification is any process that turns raw rock sediment into consolidated sedimentary rocks.
Lithification can occur by way of:
- Drying and compaction.
- Oxidation of iron and aluminum.
- Precipitation of calcium and silica.
- Scientists sometimes call this general group of sedimentary rocks clastic.
- The remaining types of sedimentary rocks are created either from chemical precipitation and
crystallization, or by the lithification of once living organic matter. We identify these sedimentary
rocks as being non-clastic.
- Formed from the lithification of once living organisms.
IGNEOUS ROCKS
- Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ignis meaning fire), or magmatic rock.
How are Igneous rocks formed?
- Deep in the ground is molten rock called magma. Sometimes magma bursts through the surface
causing volcanic eruption.
- Igneous rocks are formed when magma cools and solidifies.
Types of Igneous rocks
Extrusive if magma cools above the surface. It cools quickly (over periods of seconds to months).
Intrusive if magma cools below the surface. It cools slowly (over thousand years).
Examples:
1. Basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained, igneous rocks composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene
minerals.
 2. Obsidian is an igneous rock that forms when molten rock material cools so rapidly that atoms are unable
to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure. It is an amorphous material known as a "mineraloid."
3. Granite is a light-colored igneous rock with grains large enough to be visible with the unaided eye. It
forms from the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's surface.
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
- A metamorphic rock is a type of rock which has been changed by extreme heat and pressure. Its
name is from 'morph' (meaning form), and 'meta' (meaning change).
- The original rock gets heated (temperatures greater than 150 to 200 C) and pressured (1500 bars).
This causes profound physical and/or chemical change. The original rock may be sedimentary rock,
igneous rock or another older metamorphic rock.
- The four main agents that metamorphose rocks are heat, pressure, fluids and strain.
HOW TO DISTINGUISH METAMORPHIC ROCKS?
- The main thing about metamorphic rocks is that they are shaped by great heat and pressure. The
following traits are all related to that.
- Because their mineral grains grew together tightly during metamorphism, they're generally strong
rocks.
- They're made of different minerals than other kinds of rocks and have a wide range of color and
luster.
- They often show signs of stretching or squeezing, giving them a striped appearance.
Common Types of Metamorphic Rock
1. Amphibolite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms through recrystallization under conditions of
high viscosity and directed pressure.
2. Hornfels is a fine-grained nonfoliated metamorphic rock with no specific composition.
3. Gneiss is a foliated metamorphic rock that has a banded appearance and is made up of granular mineral
grains.
4. Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that is produced from the metamorphism
of limestone or dolostone.
5. Phyllite is a foliated metamorphic rock that is made up mainly of very fine-grained mica.
6. Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous rock that breaks with a conchoidal fracture.
7. Lapis Lazuli, the famous blue gem material, is actually a metamorphic rock.
8. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that is produced by the metamorphism of sandstone.
9. Slate is a foliated metamorphic rock that is formed through the metamorphism of shale. It is a low-grade
metamorphic rock that splits into thin pieces.
10. Schist is a metamorphic rock with well-developed foliation.
11. Soapstone is a metamorphic rock that consists primarily of talc with varying amounts of other minerals
such as micas, chlorite, amphiboles, pyroxenes, and carbonates.
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Rocks formed at or near the Earths surface by the accumulation and lithification of sediment or
by the precipitation from solution at normal surface temperatures .
Sedimentary rocks are formed from broken pieces of rocks. These broken pieces of rock are
called sediments.
Sedimentary rocks are the most common rocks exposed on the Earths surface but are only a
minor constituent of the entire crust, which is dominated by igneous and metamorphic rocks.
2 classes of sedimentary rocks
1. Detrital sedimentary rocks
- Detrital rocks are sometimes referred to as clastic sedimentary rocks because they are made up of
clasts or rock fragments.
- Detrital sedimentary rocks are composed of rock fragments that have been weathered from pre-
existing rocks. Because these rocks are created by the breakdown of other rocks, they are the most
common rocks we see on the surface of the earth.
- The word detrital actually means rubbing away, and we see that detrital rocks form when pre-
existing rocks are rubbed away or weathered by forces such as water, ice and wind, leaving behind
smaller rock fragments.
 2. Chemical sedimentary rocks
- Formed when minerals, dissolved in water, begin to precipitate out of solution and deposit at the
base of the water body.
- These types of rocks exhibit a crystalline texture. This texture can also occur in rocks that have
undergone some form of recrystallization during the lithification process.

Formation of sedimentary rocks

- Compaction is the squeezing together of layers of sediment due to the great weight of overlying
layers of rock. This squeezing of the layer results in reducing the thickness of the original layer. When
the layers are reduced in thickness the pore spaces around the sediments are also reduced, which
leads to a tighter packing of the layers.
- Cementation is the changing of sediment into rock by filling spaces around the sediments with
chemical precipitates of minerals. binding the sediments, and forming solid rock.
- Recrystallization is the third way that sedimentary rocks are formed. Recrystallization is the formation
of new mineral grains that are larger than the original grains. As the sediments recrystallize they
arrange themselves in a series of interlocking crystals that connect the other grains together into a
solid rock.

ROCK CYCLE
TYPES OF ROCKS
Sedimentary Rocks formed from particles of sand, shells, pebbles
and other fragments of materials.
Metamorphic Rocks formed under the surface of the earth under
the metamorphosis (change) that occurs due to intense heat and
pressure (squeezing).
Igneous Rocks formed when magma (molten rock deep within
the earth) cools and hardens.
How Rock Changes?
Heat and Pressure due to the movement of the earths crust,
rocks are frequently pulled under the surface of the earth, where
temperature increase dramatically the farther they descend. Between 100 and 200 kilometers below the
earths surface, temperature are hot enough to melt most rocks. However before the melting point is
reached, a rock undergo fundamental changes morphing from one type to another without melting. An
additional factor that can transform rock is the pressure caused by tons of other rocks pressing down on it
from above. This kind of change, which result from rising the pressure and temperature is called
metamorphism, and the resulting rock is called metamorphic rock.
Melting the rock is pulled down by the movement in the earths crust and gets hotter and hotter as it
goes deeper. It takes temperature between 600 and 1300 degrees Celsius to melt a rock, turning it to a
substance called magma.
Cooling liquid magma also turns into a solid rock. When magma rises from deep within the earth and
explodes out of a volcano, it is called lava and it cools quickly on the surface. Rock formed in this way
called extrusive igneous rock. On the other hand, when magma doesnt erupt out of a volcano but instead
gets pushed slowly upward toward the earths surface over a long period of time. This magma also cools
but a much slower than the lava erupting out of a volcano, turning into rock called intrusive igneous rock.
Weathering and Erosion All objects on the earths surface are exposed to the wind along with many
other elements water, the sun, temperature changes. Over time, these factors wear objects down and
break them apart. The resulting bits and pieces are called sediments. Sediments are then transported by
wind and water, often ending up far from where it started.
Compacting and Cementing Over a period of time, sediments accumulates in ocean, lakes and valleys,
eventually building up in layers and weighing down the material underneath. This weight presses the
sediment particles together, compacting them. Water passing through the spaces between the particles
helps to cement them together even more. This process forms sedimentary rocks.
What is a rock?
 - is a natural substance, a solid aggregate of one or more minerals or mineraloids. For
example, granite, a common rock, is a combination of the minerals quartz, feldspar and biotope. The
scientific study of rocks is called petrology, which is an essential component of geology.
How are Rocks Classified?
- When a rock is dirty or covered with lichen or moss, many of its characteristics are obscured
preventing you from accurately identifying the rock.
- Identification of rock types within the three divisions depends on the nature of the mineral grains,
including their composition and size and relationship to surrounding grains; the way the rock occurs;
how uniform it is; its hardness; how it reacts with acid; its colour; and the way in which it breaks.
ROCKS FOUND IN THE PHILIPPINES
1. Diorite
- A kind of Igneous rock
- Speckled black and white color with occasional shades of dark green or pink
- The sizes of grains are coarse or maybe pegmatitic
- Texture is equigranular or porphyritic
- Important host rocks of some valuable deposits
- Found in Palawan, Bulacan, Cebu, Surigao Del Norte, Rizal, Nueva Vizcaya, Zamboanga City, Bohol,
Agusan
2. Rhyolite
- Another type of Igneous rock found on stratovolcanoes.
- Light or almost white in color
- Found in Northern Mindoro Island, which is located at the northeastern edge of the Palawan
Continental Terrane
3. Gabbro
- An Igneous rock which is gray, dark gray and black in color may also have bluish or greenish tone
- Has a granular texture and coarse-grained crystals.
- Found in Bulacan, Antique, Iloilo, Aklan, Agusan del Norte, Marinduque, Zambales and Camarines Sur.
4. Tektites
- Is an example of rock glass
- Range in size from microscopic grain to masses weighing tens of kilograms
- Mostly brown in transmitted light and appear black in reflected light. Some are olive brown and others
are in various shades of green
- Generally spherical in form, but they also come in various shapes from flat to round, oval, teardrop,
and dumbbell form representing different state of viscosity.
- Philippine tektites are called rizalites. Locally it is called Tae ng Bituin.
- The average age of Philippine Tektites average about 710,000 year old.
- Tektites can be found along plains all over the country: Cagayan Valley, Pangasinan, Rizal, Bicol, Iloilo
and Agusan.
5. Limestone (Calcareous Rock)
- A kind of sedimentary rock
- Contains fossils and shells
- Made out of carbonate and calcium
- Found in the colors of grey, white, brown, or yellow
- Found in Palawan, Negros, Cebu, Bohol

6. Marble (Metamorphic Calcite)

- A secondary metamorphic rock
- Produced by the transformation of older limestone
- More crystalline than limestone but its hardiness and color depends on the original structure of
precedent limestone
- Romblon is known as the Marble Capital of the Philippines

7. Sericite schist
 - A metamorphic rock characterized by its glittering grayish golden color.
- Texture is medium- or coarse-grained and invariably has a well-developed schistosity.
- The term schist signifies schistosity or foliation.
- Found in Camarines Norte and Palawan, Mindoro Oriental

8. Dolomite
- A mixed carbonate rock
- More alkaline than true limestone
- Descendent mostly from a sedimentation in the shallow hypersaline waters
- Its structure is more fissured-porous, granular or angulate-saccharoide.
- Pugalo is a barangay in Alcoy, Cebu, Philippines. It is known for its large deposit of dolomite.

9. Serpentinite
- Soft, massive, compact and the texture is fine to fibrous.
- Has green to greenish yellow color and has a slightly greasy feel. The green color of all
serpentinites is determined principally by iron content of the original minerals, becoming deeper
as it increases.
- As the name implies, serpentinite consists almost entirely of the mineral serpentine.
- Can be found in Mindoro Oriental, Zambales, Samar, Rizal, Antique, Camarines Norte, Aklan,
Bohol, Tarlac, Marinduque, Leyte, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and Cebu. Serpentinites
can be cut and polished and turned into an ornamental material.

Rocks and Minerals

Early Man
- Rocks and minerals were used by early man for weapons and tools (ax, mortar, and pestle),
shelter, jewelry, fire pits (not pictured), etc. Scientists know that early man relied on rock caves
and structures for shelter because they have found art (wall paintings), artifacts, and human
remains in these places. This early period of human life has been named the Stone Age.
Granite
This rock may be a mix of gray, white, red, pink, or black minerals. It is very hard and does not wear down easily. It
can be very beautiful when polished.
Uses
monuments
buildings
countertops
tombstones, etc.
Granite is used for things that we want to last a long time. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is carved
into the granite face of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The exterior walls of the Texas State Capitol
were constructed from sunset red granite quarried near Marble Falls. Granite is a popular countertop
stone; it can withstand high temperatures and is beautiful when polished.
Obsidian
- This rock is hard and glassy. Just like glass, it chips to form very sharp edges.
- Native Americans used it for blades and arrowheads.
Pumice
- This rocks rough texture makes it useful in many products.
- Pumice is ground up and used in soaps and other things that polish your skin.
Limestone
- This rock is often crushed and mixed with other materials. It is formed from shells and bones.
- cement
- train track beds
- fertilizer
- buildings
 - In past times, limestone was used extensively in construction of buildings. The Great Pyramid of
Giza was built of huge slabs of limestone. The interior walls and foundation of the Texas State
Capitol is mostly limestone quarried from present-day Oak Hill (SW Austin). Today, limestone is
crushed and used in a multitude of products such as landscaping rock, roadbeds (for train tracks),
fertilizer, cement, steel manufacturing, water treatment, etc.
Halite
- This mineral can form from evaporated sea water. It dissolves in water and looks like clear or
white cubes.
- Salt seasons our food and melts ice on streets and sidewalks.
Coal
- This rock burns. It is dark in color, usually black or brown.
- Coal is burned to produce energy such as electricity.
- Coal is a rock in the Earths crust that is used for fuel to run factories and make electricity for our
homes. Fuel is any material which can be burned to produce energy. Coal, along with petroleum
products like natural gas and oil, are mined from deep inside the Earth and provide fuel and
other products (plastics, CDs/DVDs, medicine, etc.) that make our lives easier.
Talc
- This mineral is very soft and has a greasy or soapy feel. It ranges in color from white to gray,
sometimes green.
- Talc has many uses, but is best known for its use in talcum (baby) powder and cosmetics.
Graphite
- This mineral is very soft and will leave black smudges on your fingers if handled.
- pencil lead
- dry lubricant
- many other uses
Iron Ore
- This rock contains a metal that attracts magnets. The metal must be separated from the rock
before it can be used.
- Most iron ore is used to make steel.
- Students should remember that iron attracts magnets. One iron ore, found in magnetite, is a
natural magnet. Most iron ore is used to make steel, which is one of the most widely used
materials (alloys) in the world.
Marble
- This rock is valued because of its beauty. It is strong, but can be carved and polished.
- monuments
- statues
- buildings
- floor tiles
- decoration
- The Lincoln Memorial, as well as many other monuments, statues, and structures in Washington,
D. C. (and throughout the World) are made from marble.
Diamond
- This mineral is harder than any other mineral. When cut, it reflects light, causing it to sparkle.
- Jewelry, cutting tools
- Diamonds are the hardest known natural material. This property makes them excellent for use in
cutting tools. Diamonds and other gemstones are used to make things that we like to look at.
Native Copper
- This rock contains a metal which can be easily shaped.
- Coins, wire, pipe fittings
- Copper was used in coins and ornaments by early cultures. Our pennies were mainly composed
of copper prior to 1982. Today, it is used in wiring and plumbing extensively. It is also an essential
component in automobiles. Copper is combined with zinc to make brass and with tin to make
bronze.