TOPIC 13

1ST SLIDE
Good evening, everyone!
Today, I'm going to take you deep beneath the Earth’s surface—into a hidden world of solidified magma chambers and fascinating rock formations. Our focus is
on plutonic bodies, also known as intrusive igneous bodies. These structures, though formed underground, play a vital role in shaping our planet’s geology.
Plutonic bodies are created when magma cools and solidifies slowly beneath the Earth's crust, forming large crystals that become the foundation for some of the
most well-known rock types, like granite. In this presentation, we’ll explore the different types of plutonic bodies, how they form, and why they’re so important to
understanding Earth's geological processes.
2ND SLIDE
But before that, let’s discuss first the brief history of plutonic rocks.
First bullet, This association with the underground inspired early geologists to use the term "plutonic" for igneous bodies that form deep within the Earth's crust.
Second bullet, The Plutonists, led by Scottish geologist James Hutton, argued that rocks such as granite formed from molten material that cooled and crystallized
deep within the Earth. This view supported the idea that the Earth's geological features were shaped by internal heat and gradual processes over long periods.
On the other hand, the Neptunists, led by German geologist Abraham Werner, believed that all rocks, including granite, had precipitated from ancient oceans.
They thought the Earth's crust was primarily shaped by sedimentary processes and the action of water, rather than heat.
Third bullet, particularly with the development of modern volcanology and the study of igneous rocks. Geologists observed that magma could solidify both on the
Earth’s surface (forming volcanic rocks) and within the crust (forming plutonic rocks). Over time, the distinction between these two types of igneous rocks led to
the term "plutonic" becoming associated specifically with rocks and bodies that form deep underground, away from the cooling effects of the atmosphere.
Fourth bullet, The legacy of the term reflects both the scientific history of geology and the mythological concept of a hidden, mysterious underworld.
3RD SLIDE
Read the slide, These plutons form when magma cools and solidifies slowly beneath the Earth's surface, allowing large mineral crystals to develop. The size and
shape of these bodies can vary greatly depending on factors like the depth of cooling, the viscosity of the magma, and how it intrudes into the surrounding rock.
4TH SLIDE
Granite: A coarse-grained, light-colored plutonic rock, primarily composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica. It is one of the most common plutonic rocks and often
used in construction and monuments.
Diorite: Intermediate in composition, diorite contains plagioclase feldspar and minerals like hornblende and biotite. It has a "salt and pepper" appearance due to
its mix of light and dark minerals.
Gabbro: A dark, coarse-grained rock rich in mafic minerals like pyroxene and plagioclase feldspar. Gabbro is the plutonic equivalent of basalt.
After reading the rest of the slide, which are one of our main focus for today.
5th SLIDE
5th SLIDE
Read the slide. If you can see the information in this diagram here, you have your batholith, stocks, laccolith, dikes and sills, and your xenolith which is your foreign
rock. As you notice here, are you guys familiar with the term “stoping”? Stoping is a mechanism wherein the magma creeps upward by fragmenting the overlying
rocks.
Intrusion:
• Definition: Intrusion refers to the process where magma from the Earth's mantle or lower crust pushes its way into pre-existing rocks and solidifies below the
Earth's surface. The result is the formation of igneous rock bodies known as intrusions (e.g., dikes, sills, batholiths).
• Process: Magma intrudes into surrounding rock (also called the country rock) by forcing itself into cracks, fractures, or through openings created by tectonic
forces. It cools and solidifies to form intrusive igneous rocks.
Stoping:
Definition: Stoping is a process by which magma moves upwards through the crust by breaking off and engulfing blocks of overlying rock, allowing the magma to
rise through the space created by these fragments. The broken-off blocks may sink into the magma or become incorporated into the cooling igneous body as
xenoliths.
Process: Stoping occurs when magma intrudes into brittle rock. As the magma moves upward, it fractures and breaks pieces of the surrounding rock. These
fragments either fall into the magma and may melt, or they become trapped as solid pieces within the intrusive body.
Summary:
• Intrusion is the broader term that refers to magma emplacement in pre-existing rocks, forming intrusive igneous bodies.
• Stoping is a specific process that happens during the ascent of magma, where the surrounding rock is broken off and removed, allowing the magma to
intrude further.
Stoping is essentially one of the mechanisms that aids in the larger process of intrusion.
6th Slide
Read the slide.
7th Slide
Read the slide.
8th Slide
Read the slide. The Sierra Nevada batholith, for example, is a continuous granitic structure that forms much of the Sierra Nevada, in California. An even larger
batholith extends for over 1800 kilometers (1100 miles) along the Coast Mountains of western Canada and into southern Alaska.
Large granite batholiths consist of hundreds of plutons that intimately crowd against or penetrate one another. These bulbous masses were emplaced over spans
of millions of years. The intrusive activity that created the Sierra Nevada batholith, for example, occurred nearly continuously over a 130-million- year period that
ended about 80 million years ago.
9th Slide
Read the slide. They generally cover less than 100 square kilometers and may represent the exposed portion of a larger batholith.
10th Slide
Read the slide. They create a bulge in the overlying rock and are usually convex upward.
11th Slide
Read the slide. Similar to laccoliths, but with a more bowl-shaped appearance. They form when magma intrudes into sedimentary layers and then sinks, creating
a depression in the surrounding rock.
12th Slide
Read the slide. This igneous body forms when there is not enough pressure to push the magma upward to intrude or fracture the overlying rock, and may settle on
the hinges of the fold of your strata.
13th Slide
Read the slide. Dikes: Vertical or near-vertical sheets of igneous rock that cut through existing strata. Characteristics: Formed from magma that has intruded into
fractures, dikes can vary widely in thickness and length. Sills: Horizontal intrusions that form between layers of sedimentary rock. Characteristics: They are parallel
to the existing layers and can vary in thickness, often causing the overlying rock to bulge.