Puerto Princesa Pilot Elementary

School
Grade 5 SSES
Puerto Princesa City

A SCIENCE
ABOU
REPORT
T

IGNEOUS ROCKS
HOW THEY ARE FORMED; THEIR USES AND SAMPLES

Reporter: Martin Simon S. Palero

What is a rock?
Rocks

are the building blocks of the

lithosphere. They are studied by some
geologists. They are made of minerals. Rocks
are made of one or more minerals. They are
believed to have been formed millions of years
ago. They can be formed beneath the oceans
and the polar caps.

IGNEOUS ROCKS
Igneous rock (derived from the
Latin word ignis meaning fire) is one
of the three main rock types, the
others being sedimentary and
metamorphic. Igneous rock may form
with or without crystallization, either
below the surface as intrusive (
plutonic) rocks or on the surface as
extrusive (volcanic) rocks. This
magma can be derived from
partial melts of existing rocks in
either a planet's mantle or crust.
Typically, the melting is caused by
one or more of three processes: an
increase in temperature, a decrease
in pressure, or a change in
composition.

2 KINDS OF Igneous Rocks

1)

Intrusive igneous rocks are formed from magma that cools and
solidifies within the crust of a planet, surrounded by pre-existing
rock (called country rock); the magma cools slowly and, as a
result, these rocks are coarse grained. The mineral grains in
such rocks can generally be identified with the naked eye.
Intrusive rocks can also be classified according to the shape and
size of the intrusive body and its relation to the other formations
into which it intrudes. Typical intrusive formations are batholiths,
stocks, laccoliths, sills and dikes. When the magma solidifies
within the earth's crust, it cools slowly forming coarse textured
rocks, such as granite, gabbro, or diorite.

5
Extrusive igneous rock is made from lava released by volcanoes

Sample of basalt (an extrusive igneous rock), found in Massachusetts

1) Extrusive igneous rocks, also known as volcanic rocks, are formed at the crust's
surface as a result of the partial melting of rocks within the mantle and crust.
Extrusive igneous rocks cool and solidify quicker than intrusive igneous rocks.
They are formed by the cooling of molten magma on the earth's surface. The
magma, which is brought to the surface through fissures or volcanic eruptions,
solidifies at a faster rate. Hence such rocks are smooth, crystalline and fine
grained. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock and forms lava flows, lava

Formation Of
Rocks
Igneous rocksIgneous
are formed through
the cooling and solidification of

magma (or lava). As hot, molten rock rises to the surface, it

undergoes
changes in temperature and pressure that cause it to cool, solidify,
and crystallize. All told, there are over 700 known types of igneous
rock, the majority of
which are formed beneath the surface of the Earths crust. However,
some are also formed on the surface as a result of volcanic activity.

Igneous Rocks
Samples

Igneous rocks from left to

right: gabbro, andesite,
pegmatite, basalt, pumice,
porphyry, obsidian, granite,
and tuff.

Samples and Uses:

GRANITE: An igneous-plutonic rock, medium to coarse-grained that is high in

silica, potassium, sodium and quartz but low in calcium, iron and magnesium. It
is widely used for architectural construction, ornamental stone and monuments.
PUMICE: An igneous-volcanic rock, it is a porous, brittle variety of rhyolite and is
light enough to float. It is formed when magma of granite composition erupts at
the earths surface or intrudes the crust at shallow depths. It is used as an
abrasive material in hand soaps, emery boards, etc.
GABBRO: An igneous-plutonic rock, generally massive, but may exhibit a layered
structure produced by successive layers of different mineral composition. It is
widely used as crushed stone for concrete aggregate, road metal, railroad
ballast, etc. Smaller quantities are cut and polished for dimension stone (called
black granite).
BASALT: An igneous volcanic rock, dark gray to black, it is the volcanic equivalent
of plutonic gabbro and is rich in ferromagnesian minerals. Basalt can be used in
aggregate.

The
END