LECTURE NOTES IN BASIC PETROLOGY

(Structural Composition and Classification of ROCKS)

Petrology(Rock Science) is the branch of physical geology that deals with the origin, structural
composition and classification of rocks
Rocks are the structural foundations of the earth crust. They are composed of aggregates of
minerals.Some rocks are composed of one kind of minerals ,others are composed of different
types.
Petrography deals with description and analysis of mineral composition of rocks
based on thin microscopic slides using a petrographic microscope
Petrotaxy – deals with classification and naming of rocks (petronomenclature)

Classification of Three Kinds of Rocks (Based on Origin - Petrogenesis)

1. Igneous Rocks– rocks formed from the solidification of molten magma or lava which flows out from
depths during volcanic eruptions or remain beneath or interior of the crust.
Igneous rocks are classified based on:
a. Origin, solidification and crystallization of magma;
a. Volcanic Rocks (Extrusive Igneous Rocks), rocks formed from magma which
cooled and solidified on the surface of the earth’s crust
e.g. Rhyolite, Andesite, Basalt, Komatiite
b. Plutonic Rocks (Intrusive Igneous Rocks), rocks formed from magma which
cooled and solidified below the surface of the earth’s crust.
e.g. Dunite, Gabbro, Diorite, Granite
b.Texture
a. Fine Grained (Aphanitic) – when crystals are so small that which aids a magnifier to
see them. These rocks are characteristic of volcanic rocks
b. Coarse-grained (Phaneritic) – when crystals are large and can be seen by the
naked eye. These rocks are characteristic of plutonic rocks.
c. Mixed Textures (Porphyritic) – when these are composed of well formed crystals
(Phenocrysts) embedded in a matrix (ground mass)

c. Mineral Composition and Amount of Silica Content

Table 2.2 Mineral Composition and Amount of Silica Content
Mineral Volcanic Rock Plutonic Rock
Type Silica Composition Name Name
Content

a. Ultramafic < 45% Olivine ------ Dunite

Olivine, Pyroxene Komatiite Many Types

b. Mafic 45-52% Olivine, Pyroxene Basalt Gabbro

Calcium Plagioclase

Pyroxene, Amphibole
c. Intermediate 52-65% Calcium Plagioclase Andesite Diorite
Sodium Plagioclase
Amphibole, Biotite
d. Felsic >65% Sodium Plagioclase Rhyolite Granite
Potassium Feldspar
Quartz

Types of Igneous Magmatic Bodies (Plutons)

1. Batholith – a huge block of solidified magma, 100 km in width and form the core of
mountain ranges. e.g. Central Cordillera Mountain Range, Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
- a large volume of magma that has cooled and solidified below the surface forming a
large mass of intrusive rock.

2. Stock – a discordant block having dimensions less than that of batholiths, but still kilometer
across in width. Most are copulas of hidden batholiths.
 3. Dikes – are discordant tabular or sheet like magmatic bodies to the intruded layers of rocks
they are hardened lava that once flowed upward to fishers which are a few feet wide but
kilometers in length

4. Sills – are tabular or sheet like magmatic bodies which are parallel (concordant) to the
intruded layered rocks.

5. Laccoliths – are sills that assumed the concave geometric formed causing intruded layers to
bend upward. Usually thicker in he center but thinner outward in all direction.
Types of Magmatic bodies
S
e d
i
m e
nt a
ry

Rocks – rocks formed from particles or dissolved minerals (sediments) from previously existing rocks.

Sediments - are accumulation of silt, sand, chemical deposits and other materials that
settle out of water. Weathered rock fragments and dissolved rock materials both
contribute to sediment deposits.

Types:
1. Clastic Sediments – are weathered rock fragments that accumulated from rocks that are in
various stages of being broken down, owing to the different sizes of particles they compose.

2. Chemical Sediments – are dissolved rock materials that are removed from solutions. They are
composed of ions from minerals and rocks that have been completely broken down.
Lithification – is the rock forming process of sedimentary rocks.

Types of lithification:
a. Compaction – a process wherein the pressure of overlying sediments, squeeze the deeper
sediments together removing water out of the sediments.

b. Cementation – a process by which spaces between buried sediments, particles under

compaction are filled with binding chemical deposits forming into a cohesive mass of a
sedimentary rock.

Classification of Sedimentary rocks:

Based on Composition:
a. Fragmental Sedimentary Rocks (Clastic Sedimentary Rocks)
- composed of weathered rock fragments categorized into different particle sizes.
e.g. Conglomerate – formed from sediments from different mineral composition and
size of fragments of particles ranging from 2 to > 2.048mm
Sand Stone – formed from sand-sized sediments 1/6 to 2 mm
Shale – composed of clay and sill.\
b. Chemical or Biochemical Precipitates (Non-clastic Sedimentary Rocks)
 - composed of ions from rock materials that have been removed from solutions.
e.g. Limestone – composed of Calcite(CaCO3), or Aragonite or fragment of shell
corals. It reacts strongly with acids.
Dolomite – formed from limestone by replacement of Calcium Ion by
Magnesium
or by plants and animals.
Chalk – a kind of limestone which is composed of calcareous
microscopic organism called foraminifera (forams)
Chert – a siliceous precipitate commonly formed from chalcedony
(microcrystalline quartz).Other common varieties are flint and
jasper.

Classification Scheme of Clastic Sediments of Sedimentary Rocks

Name of
Sediment Size Range Rock Sample
Component
Boulder Over 256 mm. (10 inches)
2 mm.-256 mm. Conglomerate or
Gravel
(0.08inches-10 inches) Breccia
1/16 mm. -2 mm.
Sand Sandstone
(0.025 inches-0.08 inches)
1/26 mm.-1/16 mm.
Silt Silstone
(0.0005 inches-0.025 inches)
less than 1/256 mm.
Clay Claystone
(less than 0.00015 inches)

3. Metamorphic Rocks – rocks formed from previously existing rocks that have been changed into
distinctly different rock by heat, pressure, or hot solutions (chemically active fluids).

Metamorphism – is a process whereby rocks undergo physical or chemical

changes or both to achieved with conditions other than those which they were
originally formed.

Agents that bring about Metamorphism:

a. Heat
b. Pressure
c. Chemically
d. Active Fluids
Types of Metamorphism
1. Thermal (Contact Metamorphism)
- involves heat and occurs at or very near the contact between intrusive igneous rocks
and the host rock.
2. Regional Metamorphism
- occurs as result of a combination of heat, pressure, and the presence of chemically
active fluids. It involves a considerable amount of mechanical deformation and
chemical recrystallization.
3. Dynamic Metamorphism
- involves mechanical breaking and grinding of rocks due to direct pressure or
shearing stress caused mainly by the movement of the faults.
Foliation- is the alignment of flat crystal flakes of rocks into parallel sheets.
Classification of Metamorphic Rocks
A. Based on types of Textures or Foliation;
1. Foliated Metamorphic Rocks
- rocks that have the property of breaking down along the planes between the aligned
mineral grains.
e.g. Slate – fine-grained with no visible crystals. It splits into flat sheets
Schist – produced from slate from further metamorphism.
Gneiss – produced from further metamorphism of schist resulting to
breakdown of mica crystals and appearance of alternating
 bands.
Phyllite-produced from fine-grained white mica
2. Non-foliated Metamorphic Rocks
- rock that consists of only one mineral and the grains are not aligned into sheets.
e.g. Quartzite – product of metamorphosed quartz-rich sandstone which is
recrystallized into tightly-locking grains and usually hard and
tough.
Marble – product of recrystallized limestone.
Phyllite- formed when sedimentary rocks are buried and mildly altered by heat and
directed
pressure of regional metamorphism. Composed of quartz, mica, sericite, and
chlorite,
Gneiss-formed from igneous or sedimentary rock during regional
Metamorphism. Composed of feldspars, quartz, mica and aluminous
ferromagnesian silicates.
Schistocity-mode of foliation or banding pattern formation
Metamorphic rocks based on Schistocity
1.Platy–slate like foliation.Very finely foliated
2.Schistose-schist-like foliation.
3.Phyllitic- phyllite-like foliation. Finely foliated
4.Gneissic-gneiss-like foliation. Coarsely foliated
THE ROCK CYCLE (Cyclopetrogenesis)

Figure 2.8 A schematic diagram of the rock cycle concept, which states that geologic processes act
continuously to produce new rocks from old ones.
Rocks undergo changes, rocks may tee change from one farm to another through a process called
the rock cycle.
In the first stage of this cycle, igneous rocks are farmed. They are considered as the ancestors of
all rocks, these rocks may be farmed beneath the earth’s surface from magma.
When igneous rocks break down into sediments through weathering, the second stage occurs, the
running water, wind, or ice may carry these sediments away and deposit them in layers. These layers
harden or are pressed together by the weight of the materials above them.
The sedimentary rocks may be burred deep within the earth, here the rocks may be exposed to
beat pressure and the action of liquids and grasses, there they can be changed into metamorphic rocks.
 Metamorphic rocks can still undergo changes, when they are exposed to more heat and pressure,
they may melt into magma. As magma cools, igneous rocks are farmed.
Then the rock cycle begins again, this cycle happens continuously but very slowly, great in rocks
usually take millions of year.