The Rock Cycle

• A rock is a naturally occurring solid

mixture of one or more minerals or
organic matter.
• New rock forms from old rock material
constantly.
• The series of processes in which a rock
forms, changes from one type to another, is destroyed, and forms again by geological
processes is called the rock cycle.
ROCK

Figure below depicts how the three major rock types – igneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic - convert from one to another.

ROCK CYCLE

All rocks are made up of minerals. A mineral is defined as a naturally occurring,

crystalline solid of definite chemical composition and a characteristic crystal
structure.

Major Types of Rock

1. Igneous Rock
 Igneous rocks are formed by the solidification of molten magma ejected from
deep within the earth’s mantle. After ejection by either fissure eruption or volcanic
eruption, some of the molten magma cools on the surface of the earth.

MAGMA - molten material beneath or within the earth's crust, from which
igneous rock is formed.

Igneous rock may form with or without crystallization, either below the surface as
intrusive (plutonic) rocks or on the surface as extrusive (volcanic) rocks. Intrusive
igneous rocks form when magma solidifies under ground while extrusive igneous
rocks form when magma solidifies at the Earth’s surface (lava).

Texture of Igneous Rock

 Extrusive igneous rocks cools quickly at or Earth’s surface are typically

fine-grained (most crystal < 1 mm)
 Intrusive igneous rocks cool slowly deep beneath the Earth’s surface are typically
coarse-grained (most crystals > 1mm)

Special Igneous Textures

 Pegmatite
- an extremely coarse-grained igneous rock (most crystals > 5 cm) formed when
magma cools very slowly at a depth
 Glassy
- contains no crystal at all, and is formed by extremely rapid cooling

 Porphyritic
- includes two distinct crystal sizes, with the larger having formed first during
slow cooling underground and small forming during more rapid cooling at
Earth’s surface.

Igneous Composition

 Mafic Rocks
- contain abundant dark colored ferromagnesian minerals
 Intermediate Rocks
- contain roughly equal amounts of dark- and light-colored minerals
 Felsic Rocks
- contain abundant light-colored minerals
Example of Igneous Rock

Intrusive

1. Diorite is a coarse-grained, intrusive

igneous rock that contains a mixture
of feldspar, pyroxene, hornblende, and
sometimes quartz. The specimen shown
above is about two inches (five centimeters)
across.
2. Gabbro is a coarse-grained, dark-colored,
intrusive igneous rock that contains feldspar,
pyroxene, and sometimes olivine. The
specimen shown above is about two inches
(five centimeters) across.

3. Granite is a coarse-grained, light-colored,

intrusive igneous rock that contains
mainly quartz, feldspar, and mica minerals.
The specimen above is about two inches
(five centimeters) across.

4. Pegmatite is a light-colored, extremely

coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock. It
forms near the margins of a magma chamber
during the final phases of magma chamber
crystallization. It often contains rare
minerals that are not found in other parts of
the magma chamber. The specimen shown
above is about two inches (five centimeters)
across.
 5. Peridotite is a coarse-grained intrusive
igneous rock that is composed almost
entirely of olivine. It may contain small
amounts of amphibole, feldspar, quartz, or
pyroxene. The specimen shown above is
about two inches (five centimeters) across.

Extrusive

1. Andesite is a fine-grained, extrusive

igneous rock composed mainly of
plagioclase with other minerals such
as hornblende, pyroxene, and biotite. The
specimen shown is about two inches (five
centimeters) across.

2. Basalt is a fine-grained, dark-colored

extrusive igneous rock composed mainly
of plagioclase and pyroxene. The specimen
shown is about two inches (five centimeters)
across.
3. Obsidian is a dark-colored volcanic glass
that forms from the very rapid cooling of
molten rock material. It cools so rapidly that
crystals do not form. The specimen shown
above is about two inches (five centimeters)
across.

4. Pumice is a light-colored vesicular

igneous rock. It forms through very rapid
solidification of a melt. The vesicular
texture is a result of gas trapped in the melt
at the time of solidification. The specimen
shown above is about two inches (five
centimeters) across.

5. Rhyolite is a light-colored, fine-grained,

extrusive igneous rock that typically
contains quartz and feldspar minerals. The
specimen shown above is about two inches
(five centimeters) across.
 6. Scoria is a dark-colored, vesicular,
extrusive igneous rock. The vesicles are a
result of trapped gas within the melt at the
time of solidification. It often forms as a
frothy crust on the top of a lava flow or as
material ejected from a volcanic vent and
solidifying while airborne. The specimen
shown above is about two inches (five
centimeters) across.

7. Welded Tuff is a rock that is composed of

materials that were ejected from a volcano,
fell to Earth, and then lithified into a rock. It
is usually composed mainly of volcanic
ashand sometimes contains larger size
particles such as cinders. The specimen
shown above is about two inches (five
centimeters) across.

Bowen Reaction Series

Bowen (1922) was able to explain the relation of the rate of magma cooling to the
formation of different types of rock. This explanation—known as Bowen’s reaction
principle—describes the sequence by which new minerals are formed as magma cools.
The mineral crystals grow larger and some of them settle. The crystals that remain
suspended in the liquid react with the remaining melt to form a new mineral at a lower
temperature. This process continues until the entire body of melt is solidified.
Bowen classified these reactions into two groups: (1) discontinuous ferromagnesian
reaction series, in which the minerals formed are different in their chemical
composition and crystalline structure, and (2) continuous plagioclase feldspar
reaction series, in which the minerals formed have different chemical compositions
with similar crystalline structures.

Reference:
Principles of Geotechnical Engineering - Braja M. Das
http://safinazismail.blogspot.com/2010/02/geotechnical-eng-rock-cycle.html
http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/geo/basics/diagrams.htm
https://geology.com/rocks/igneous-rocks.shtml