Igneous Rock
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An Igneous Rock is a rock that has solidified from molten magma or lava.
- Context:
- It can (typically) contain minerals, such as: quartz, feldspar, and mica.
- It can be used in various construction materials and as a source for minerals.
- It can range from being a Fine-grained Rock, Coarse-Grained Rock, or Porphyritic Rock, typically dependeing on the cooling rate and mineral content.
- It can range from being a Felsic Rock, Intermediate Rock, Mafic Rock or Ultramafic Rock, based on silica content.
- It can range from being an Intrusive (Plutonic) Igneous Rock to being a Extrusive (Volcanic) Igneous Rock.
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- Example(s):
- Intrusive (Plutonic) Igneous Rocks:
- Granite - coarse-grained and composed mostly of quartz, feldspar, and mica.
- Extrusive (Volcanic) Igneous Rocks:
- Basalt - fine-grained and composed of plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine.
- Pumice - forms from rapidly cooling lava, leading to a very porous texture.
- Ultramafic Igneous Rocks:
- Peridotite - coarse-grained, primarily composed of olivine and pyroxene, and is derived from the Earth's mantle.
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- Intrusive (Plutonic) Igneous Rocks:
- Counter-Example(s):
- Sedimentary Rocks, such as: Limestone.
- Metamorphic Rocks, such as: Slate.
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- See: Volcanic Glass, Rock (Geology)#Types, Partial Melting, Terrestrial Planet, Mantle (Geology), Crust (Geology), Pressure.
References
2023
- (Wikipedia, 2023) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/igneous_rock Retrieved:2023-6-8.
- Igneous rock, or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
The 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. Solidification into rock occurs either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks. Igneous rock may form with crystallization to form granular, crystalline rocks, or without crystallization to form natural glasses.
Igneous rocks occur in a wide range of geological settings: shields, platforms, orogens, basins, large igneous provinces, extended crust and oceanic crust.
- Igneous rock, or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.