Rocks are naturally

occurring aggregates
of minerals
(from Grotzinger & Jordan 2010)
Geologa General, S. Rosas

Procedencia y procesos formadores de los tres

grandes tipos de rocas (de Grtzinger et al. 2007)

Geologa General, S. Rosas

1
Extrusive igneous rocks are formed when magma erupts at the surface,
finely
rapidly cooling to fine ash or lava and forming tiny crystals. The resulting rock is
grained or has a glassy texture. Intrusive igneous rocks
crystallize when molten rock intrudes into unmelted rock masses deep in Earths crust.
Large crystals grow during the slow cooling process, producing coarsely grained
rocks (from Press & Siever 2000 and Grotzinger & Jordan 2010).
Geologa General, S. Rosas

Algunos minerales comunes de las rocas gneas,

sedimentarias y metamrficas
Rocas Rocas
Rocas gneas
sedimentarias metamrficas
Cuarzo* Cuarzo* Cuarzo*
Feldespato* Arcillas* Feldespato*
Mica* Feldespato* Mica*
Piroxenos* Calcita Granate*
Anfboles* Dolomita Piroxenos*
Olivino* Yeso Estaurolita*
Halita Cianita*

El asterisco indica que el mineral es un silicato

Geologa General, S. Rosas

2
 Weathering breaks down rock into smaller
particles that are then carried downhill and
downstream by erosion to be deposited as layers
of sediment along continental margin. Other
sediment is produced by biochemical
precipitation, such as in the formation of coral
reefs. Some corals are lithified during their growth
phase and therefore may experience little change
during deep burial. These rocks lithify, hardening
into sedimentary rock (from Grotzinger & Jordan
2010). Geologa General, S. Rosas

Sediments and sedimentary rocks cover much of the land surface and the
seafloor. Nevertheless, they are only a thin layer distributed over the igneous
and metamorphic rocks that account for most of the crusts volume.
The pie charts at the top of this
illustration compare igneous and
sedimentary rocks as percentages of
crustal volume and as percentages of
surface area. In the pie charts, the area
and volume of metamorphic rocks are
divided between igneous and
sedimentary, in accord with the type of
parent rock that was metamorphosed
(from Press & Siever 2000).

Geologa General, S. Rosas

3
Metamorphism may take place over a widespread or a limited area. (a) Regional
metamorphism occurs where high pressures and temperatures extend over large
areas, as happens when heat and pressure accompanying plate collisions strongly
deform rocks. (b) Contact metamorphism occurs in more limited areas, when
rock border zones of an intrusion of magma are metamorphosed by heat emanating from
the magma (from Press & Siever 2000). Geologa General, S. Rosas

Metamorphic rocks form under high temperatures and pressures (from Grotzinger &
Jordan 2010). Geologa General, S. Rosas

4
 Outcrops are places
where bedrock the
underlying rock beneath
loose surface materials
such as soil and boulders
is laid bare (from Press
& Siever 2000).

Geologa General, S. Rosas

The rock cycle, as

proposed by James Hutton more
than 200 years ago. Subjected to
weathering and erosion, rocks
form sediments, which are
deposited, buried, and lithified.
After deep burial, the rocks
undergo metamorphism, melting,
or both. Through orogeny and
volcanic processes, rocks are
uplifted, only to be recycled
again (from Press & Siever 2000).

Geologa General, S. Rosas

5
Many processes combine to produce the rock cycle. These processes are all driven
by plate tectonics. The five parts of this figure illustrate those relations in various
tectonic settings (from Press & Siever 2000).

Geologa General, S. Rosas

Gabbro: calcium plagioclase (white to dark gray), pyroxene (blue), olivine (pink),
chromite and magnetite (black) Geologa General, S. Rosas

6
 Diabase (subvolcanic Gabbro/Basalt): Calcium plagioclase (white to dark gray) and
pyroxene (blue, yellow and pink)
Geologa General, S. Rosas

Tholeiitic Basalt: Most of the large white blotches are gas vesicles, except for the
one with a little more texture in the center, which is a large crystal of olivine. The smaller
grains are of plagioclase and pyroxene. Geologa General, S. Rosas

7
 Sand Grain in a Sandstone: Cemented with Silica cement.
Geologa General, S. Rosas

Schist with Garnet: Large garnet crystals have been rotated and the other
minerals have been squeezed around the garnet. Geologa General, S. Rosas