Igneous Rocks

Composition and
Classification
 Classification of Rocks
 Igneous rocks
 formed from molten magmas
 Sedimentary rocks
 accumulation of fragments
 chemical processes

 Metamorphic rocks
 formed from existing rocks by
 temperature
 pressure
 Magma
 magma is a solution
 the solvent is silica
 the solutes are the common elements
 Fe, Mg, Ca, Al, Na, K
 also contains volatiles
 water, carbon dioxide
 and whatever crystals have formed, or the
magma has picked up
 when the magma solidifies it forms
igneous rock
 Magma
 Magmas originate in the upper mantle
 where temperature is sufficiently high and
pressure sufficiently low to allow rock to melt
 50 – 250 km depth
 some magma already in asthenosphere – escape
to diverging boundaries
 subduction zones – material carried down melts,
but is less dense than surrounding rock so it
forces its way up
 Most volcanic activity is associated with
plate boundaries or hot spots
 Magma
 High pressures, such as those from the weight
of great thicknesses of crust, stop rock from
melting, even at high temperatures
 If the pressure is reduced, through cracks in
the earth’s crust, then hot rock can start to
melt and form magma
 The magma is under pressure: it will force its
way upwards through cracks and weaknesses
 The presence of volatiles lowers the melting
point
 Magma
 Magmas formed from asthenosphere
and sea floor basalts are Fe, Mg rich
and silica poor
 Which silicate minerals are Fe, Mg rich?

 What is their structure?

 How does this relate to the proportion

of silica present?
 Magma
 Magmas formed from continental crust
and their sediments are silica rich
 Which silicate minerals are silica rich?

 What is their structure?

 What metallic elements do they

contain?
 Such magmas are called acid magmas
 (acid = high in silica, basic = low in silica)
 Magma
 Basic magmas originate from
 fissure eruptions, mostly in the sea floor, associated
with rifting and divergent plate boundaries
 hotspots, which carry molten asthenosphere to
surface
 subduction of oceanic crust

 Acid magmas originate from

 subduction (?) or melting of continental crust
 subduction of marine sediments derived from
continental crust
 associated with convergent plate boundaries
 Magma
 Basic magmas
 solidify at (relatively) high temperature, so
basic magmas are hot (1000 -1100 C)
 they are fluid (flow easily and quickly!)

 Acid magmas
 solidify at (relatively) low temperature, so
acid magmas are cool (< 800 C)
 are stiff and viscous

 Acid magmas are more viscous because

more of the silica tetrahedra are linked
 Magma
 Magmas contain volatiles such as water
vapour and carbon dioxide, plus smaller
quantities of other gases
 The presence of volatiles
 lower the melting point
 decrease the viscosity

 A mixture of two minerals has a lower

melting point than either of the two minerals
separately
 Magmas are generally not entirely fluid, they
are a mixture of liquid and solid material
forming a partial melt
 Magma
 The crystallization of a magma is
very complex
 What crystallizes from a magma, and
at what temperature, depends on the
composition of the magma, which
can change.
 Magma

Diopside
Anorthite crystallizes
Anorthite
liquid becomes richer
in diopside
Diopside crystallizes

liquid becomes richer

in anorthite Anorthite and
diposide crystallize together

Not for exam purposes

 Crystallization
 If a magma cools slowly
 the first minerals to separate are those for
which the magma is saturated
 at the time of formation the crystals are in
chemical and physical equilibrium with the
magma (stable)
 as temperature falls and composition changes,
they become unstable
 they react with the magma to form new
minerals
 as the temperature falls...
Reaction Series

Amphibole
Pyroxene
Olivine
Biotite
 Simplified Bowen’s
Reaction Series
Ferromagnesian series Plagioclase
(Discontinuous) series
(Continuous)
Olivine Anorthite (Ca feldspar)
BASIC
ROCKS
Pyroxene Plagioclase (Ca rich)

Amphibole Plagioclase (Na rich)

Biotite Albite (Na feldspar)

Orthoclase (K feldspar)

Muscovite
ACID
ROCKS
Quartz
 Modification of magma
 Fractional Crystallization
 Assimilation
 Magma mixing
 Classification
Compositi Ultrabasi Basic Intermedi Intermedi Acid
on c ate ate
(calc- (alkali)
Silica % <40 40-52 52 - 66
alkali) 52 - 66 > 66

Colour

Density 3,3
2,6

Felspar - Ca rich Na rich Alkali Quartz

plagioclas plagioclas feldspars Alkali
e e (Na,K) feldspars
Ferro Olivine Augite Hornblen
-magnesia Augite de
ns
Name Peridotite Gabbro Diorite Syenite Granite
Composition of igneous
rocks
100
Ca-rich
80
Composition %

orthoclase
60
K
plagioclase quartz
ferromagnesians
40
olivine
20 pyroxene Na-rich
amphibole
biotite
0
duniteperidotite gabbro dioritegranodiorite granite syenite
Ultrabasic Basic Intermediate Acid
 Grain size
 The size of the crystals depends on the time
taken to cool
 slowest cooling → largest crystals
 slow cooling → medium crystals
 fast cooling → small crystals
 fastest cooling → glass (no crystals)
 Each rock type-name corresponds to largest
crystals
 There is a name for each composition and crystal size
 Rate of cooling depends on where the magma
solidifies, and the size of the body of magma,
which leads to a discussion on forms and
structures of igneous rocks
 Grain size increasing
depth of formation
increasing
grain size
Glass Tachylit Tachylit Pitchsto Pitchsto Obsidia
e e ne ne n

Fine Kimberl Basalt Andesit Trachyt Rhyolite

grain ite e e

Medium Kimberl Dolerite Micro- Micro- Micro-

grain ite diorite syenite granite

Coarse Peridoti Gabbro Diorite Syenite Granite

grain te
Identification of Igneous
Rocks
and now...

the Rough Guide

to identifying
Igneous Rocks
Identification of Igneous
Rocks
 How do you know you are looking at an
igneous rock?
 If you are in the lab doing a practical on
identifying igneous rocks, you probably
(but not necessarily) are
 If you are in the field then
 observe the structure of the outcrop
 refer to the geological map (maps are
available for just about everywhere – you
should be able to identify most outcrops
in South Africa just from the map)
Identification of Igneous
Rocks
 How do you know you are looking
at an igneous rock?
 If you are looking at a hand specimen,
then decide whether it is
1. Igneous Volcanic

2. Igneous Plutonic

3. None of the above

Identification of Igneous
Rocks
 Igneous-Volcanic
 Contains numerous bubble-like
cavities that may or may not be lined
with minerals
 Has obvious bubbly or frothy texture
 Is fine-grained, uniform in texture, and
hard
 Glassy or highly vesicular rocks are
almost always igneous
Identification of Igneous
Rocks
 Igneous-Plutonic
 Made of discrete mineral grains locked
together (may be loosened by weathering)
 Contains large crystals in a finer-grained mass
 Rock mass obviously cuts across other rock
structures.
 Igneous-Hypabyssal
 Between Plutonic and Volcanic – the grains
are smaller than Plutonic, but big enough to
see.
Identification of Igneous
Rocks
 Acid
 If the rock is light coloured (and
concomitantly light weight) it is acid,
except volcanic glass is black and
shiny like a broken beer bottle.
 If the rock is dark coloured, and heavy
as well, it is basic
Identification of Igneous
Rocks
 Basic
 If the rock is dark coloured, and heavy as
well, it is basic (or ultrabasic)
 Intermediate
 If the rock is speckled with black and
white crystals in about even proportions it
is intermediate.
 Or, if it is just about all one light coloured
mineral with large crystals that aren’t
quartz, it is also intermediate (syenite)
Identification of Igneous
Rocks
 Putting names to the rocks:
 Igneous-Volcanic
 Dark, fine-grained massive rock: basalt or andesite.
Difficult to tell apart without chemical or microscopic
study. Olivine is most likely to indicate basalt.
 Fine-grained massive rock, may be any colour. Often
porcelain-like in texture and may have quartz or
feldspar visible: rhyolite.
 Glassy: Obsidian. If it is the cooling crust of a lava flow
call it by the volcanic rock name, for example, basaltic
glass.
 Frothy, but still sinks readily: scoria
 Frothy: floats or is only a bit heavier than water: pumice
Identification of Igneous
Rocks

Glassy texture (obsidian)

Identification of Igneous
Rocks
 Putting names to the rocks:
 Igneous-Plutonic
 Contains quartz and potassium feldspar: granite
 Extremely large crystals: pegmatite
 Fine, sugary dike or sill rock: aplite
 Plagioclase more abundant than potassium feldspar:
granodiorite
 Contains abundant potassium feldspar but no
quartz: syenite (often contains nice large
crystals)
 Dominated by plagioclase feldspar (and looking
quite dark because of ferromagnesians): diorite
or gabbro. If it is fine grained it will be dolerite.
Identification of Igneous Rocks Granit
Identification of Igneous Rocks Gabbr
Identification of Igneous Rocks Basalt
Identification of Igneous Rocks Rhyoli
Identification of Igneous
Rocks
 In Durban
 if it is dark coloured it is dolerite
 if it is light coloured it is granite (but
can be a metamorphic rock too – it is
hard even for geologists to decide
sometimes)
 In Kwazulu Natal
 if it is dark coloured it can also be basalt
(Drakensberg)
 if it is light coloured it can also be
rhyolite (Lebombo)