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Types Of NCERT Notes For UPSC

Rocks

Rocks In The Earth Crust

A rock is known to be a composition of different minerals. Formation of rocks occurs when different
minerals aggregate or when a mixture of one or more minerals combine physically. They may vary in
color, hardness and softness, size and many more. Like: granite is known to be hard whereas soapstone
is soft. Gabbro is black in color and quartzite can be milky white
The most common types of minerals found in all types of rocks are feldspar and quartz. The branch of
science which does the study of rocks is called petrology and those who do the study of rocks are called
petrologists.
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Classification of Rocks
• As there are so many features which differentiate rocks from one another like their properties,
the size of particles and mode of formation. By keeping all these features in mind, rocks may be
classified into three types:
• Igneous Rocks: solidified from magma and lava
• Sedimentary Rocks: the result of
• deposition of fragments of rocks by exogenous processes
• Metamorphic Rocks: formed out of existing rocks undergoing recrystallisation
Also, check the NCERT Notes Geography on Endogenic Processes here.

Igneous Rocks
• Formation of igneous rocks occurs out of magma and lava from the interior of the earth. They
are also called Primary rocks.
• As formation of igneous rocks occurs when magma cools down and gets solidified. Cooling of
magma occurs when it is in upward movement and gets converted into solid form forming
igneous rocks.
• Common examples of igneous rocks are: granite, gabbro, basalt.
• Based on texture of rocks and place and time taken in cooling of the molten matter, igneous
rocks are classified into two types, they are:
A. Intrusive igneous rocks (Plutonic rocks)
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B. Extrusive igneous rocks (Lava or Volcanic rocks)

Check the NCERT Notes Geography on Volcanoes here.

Classification of Igneous Rocks

1. Based on texture of rocks and place and time taken in cooling of the molten matter, igneous rocks are
classified into two types:

When cooling of magma occurs at great depth, mineral grains formed in the rocks may
A. Intrusive be very large. Such kinds of igneous rocks are called Intrusive igneous rocks or plutonic
igneous rocks. Such rocks appear on the surface only after being uplifted and denuded.
rocks When sudden cooling of magma occurs below the surface or lava above the surface, this
B. Extrusive process results in the small and smooth grains in rocks as rapid cooling prevents
(Plutonic
igneous crystallisation, as a result, such rocks are fine-grained. Rocks which are formed through
rocks): this process are extrusive rocks or volcanic rocks (e.g. Basalt). Basalt rocks are found in
rocks (Lava
the Deccan traps in the Indian peninsular region. Such rocks have higher proportions of
or Volcanic
basic oxides, like iron, aluminium or magnesium, and because of this they are denser
rocks): and darker in colour.

2. Based on the chemical properties, igneous rocks are of two types they are:
A. Acidic Igneous rocks: They have high viscous properties and are composed of 65% or more of
silica. They are colorful, hard and very strong in nature. Example of acidic igneous rock: Granite.
B. Basic Igneous rocks: They have low viscous properties and are composed of less than 55% of silica
and have more iron and magnesium. Their physical appearance is dark in color. Example of basic
igneous rock: Basalt, Gabbro
Check the NCERT Notes Geography on Continental Drift for UPSC.

Sedimentary Rocks
• Sedimentary rocks are formed by the process called Lithification i.e. consolidation and
compaction of sediments. Because of this reason they are layered or stratified differing in its
thickness.
• Example of sedimentary rocks: sandstone, shale etc.
• Sediments are formed by a denudation process of all types of rocks i.e. weathering and erosion
process of rocks.
• Sedimentary rocks occupy 75 percent of the earth’s crust but volumetrically occupy only 5
percent.
• These rocks are found only on the upper layer of the Earth crust.
• Based on mode of formation, sedimentary rocks are classified into three types, they are:
A. Mechanically formed — sandstone, conglomerate, limestone, shale, loess.
B. Organically formed — geyserite, chalk, limestone, coal.
C. Chemically formed — limestone, halite, potash.
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Classification of Sedimentary Rocks:

Such sedimentary rocks are formed by agents like running water, wind, ocean currents,
A. ice, etc.
Mechanically Such soil also acts as a best reservoir of groundwater, petroleum and many more liquids.
Formed Example: Sandstone, claystones, shales.
Such rocks are formed when mineral constituents in solution become supersaturated and
Sedimentary
B. inorganically precipitate. Example: limestone and rocks composed of evaporite minerals,
Rocks: such as halite, sylvite, barite and gypsum.
Chemically
Formed Such rocks are formed when remains of plants and animals are buried under sediments,
C. and due to heat and pressure from overlying layers, their composition changes.
Sedimentary
Organically Example: coal and limestone.
Rocks: Read the NCERT Notes on Environment here.
Formed
Sedimentary
Rocks: Metamorphic Rocks
• Rocks which are formed under the action of volume, pressure, and temperature (PVT) changes
are called metamorphic rocks.
• The process when rocks are forced down to lower levels by tectonic processes or when molten
magma rising through the crust comes in contact with the crustal rocks is called a metamorphic
process.
• Because of the process of thermal metamorphism, the materials of rocks get chemically
modified and recrystallized.
• Types of metamorphism:
1. Thermal metamorphism: Metamorphism occurs because of the influence of heat, it is called
Thermal Metamorphism. They are of two types:
A. Contact metamorphism: When rocks come in contact with hot intruding magma and lava and
the rock materials recrystallize under high temperatures, then such metamorphism is called
contact metamorphism.
B. Regional metamorphism: When rocks undergo recrystallization due to deformation caused by
tectonic shearing together with high temperature or pressure or both then it is called regionaL
metamorphism.

2. Dynamic metamorphism: Metamorphism occurs without any appreciable chemical change,

then it is called dynamic metamorphism. For example: granite is converted into gneiss; clay and
shale are transformed into schist.

Check NCERT Notes on Minerals and their Characteristics here.

Rock Cycle
• Process by which old rocks are transformed into new ones is called the rock cycle. The region
behind this cycle is that rocks do not remain in their original form for a long time, so rocks keep
on transforming.
• As igneous rocks are primary rocks and transformation of primary rocks lead to the formation of
other rocks like sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
• Fragments of igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks lead to the formation of sedimentary rocks.
• Sedimentary rocks further undergo the fragmentation process and can act as a source of
sedimentary rocks.
• The crustal rocks (igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary) are further carried down into the
mantle (interior of the earth) through a process called subduction and the same meltdown and
turn into molten magma, the source for igneous rocks.
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Some Rock Forming Minerals

List of some rock forming minerals are given below:

• Feldspar: It occupies half the crust and is light in color. Its main constituents are silicon, oxygen,
sodium, potassium, calcium, aluminium.
• Quartz: It has two major elements, silicon and oxygen and the structure is hexagonal in nature.
Bauxite: A hydrous oxide of aluminium, it is the ore of aluminium and non crystalline in nature.
• Cinnabar: they are mercury sulphide and brownish colour.
• Dolomite: A double carbonate of calcium and magnesium and used in cement and iron
industries.
• Gypsum: It is hydrous calcium sulphate and mainly used in industries of cement, fertiliser.
• Haematite: Red ore of iron.
• Magnetite: Black ore (or iron oxide) of iron.
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