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Igneous rocks textures

The document outlines various textures of igneous rocks, including phaneritic, aphanitic, porphyritic, coarse-grained, pyroclastic, glassy, vesicular, amygdaloidal, and fragmental textures. Each texture is defined, describes its formation process, and provides examples of rocks associated with that texture. The information highlights the relationship between cooling rates and the resulting crystal sizes and structures in igneous rocks.

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Alpamis Daujanov
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2 views3 pages

Igneous rocks textures

The document outlines various textures of igneous rocks, including phaneritic, aphanitic, porphyritic, coarse-grained, pyroclastic, glassy, vesicular, amygdaloidal, and fragmental textures. Each texture is defined, describes its formation process, and provides examples of rocks associated with that texture. The information highlights the relationship between cooling rates and the resulting crystal sizes and structures in igneous rocks.

Uploaded by

Alpamis Daujanov
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Igneous rocks textures

1. Phaneritic Texture

 Definition: Crystals are large enough to be seen with the naked eye.
 Formation: Slow cooling of magma deep within the Earth's crust (intrusive/plutonic
rocks).
 Example Rocks:
o Granite
o Diorite
o Gabbro

2. Aphanitic Texture

 Definition: Crystals are too small to see without a microscope (fine-grained texture).
 Formation: Rapid cooling of lava at or near the Earth's surface (extrusive/volcanic
rocks).
 Example Rocks:
o Basalt
o Rhyolite
o Andesite

3. Porphyritic Texture

 Definition: Contains large, well-formed crystals (phenocrysts) embedded in a fine-


grained matrix (groundmass).
 Formation: Two-stage cooling:
o Slow cooling at depth forms phenocrysts.
o Rapid cooling during eruption or near-surface solidification forms the
groundmass.
 Example Rocks:
o Porphyritic Andesite
o Porphyritic Basalt

4. Coarse-Grained Texture

 Definition: Crystals are very large, often exceeding several millimeters to centimeters.
 Formation: Extremely slow cooling of magma, usually in large intrusive bodies like
batholiths.
 Example Rocks:
o Pegmatite
5. Pyroclastic Texture

 Definition: Composed of fragments of volcanic material ejected during explosive


eruptions. These fragments can include ash, pumice, and volcanic bombs.
 Formation: Rapid cooling and compaction of volcanic ejecta.
 Example Rocks:
o Tuff
o Volcanic Breccia

6. Glassy Texture

 Definition: Rock appears glass-like with no visible crystals.


 Formation: Very rapid cooling of lava, preventing crystal formation.
 Example Rocks:
o Obsidian

7. Vesicular Texture

 Definition: Contains numerous cavities (vesicles) formed by gas bubbles trapped in the
lava as it solidifies.
 Formation: Gas escapes during rapid cooling at the surface.
 Example Rocks:
o Pumice (light, floats in water)
o Scoria (denser, darker)

8. Amygdaloidal Texture

 Definition: Vesicles (holes) are later filled with secondary minerals like quartz, calcite,
or zeolites.
 Formation: Vesicular rock undergoes mineral deposition in cavities.
 Example Rocks:
o Amygdaloidal Basalt

9. Fragmental Texture

 Definition: Composed of broken pieces of pre-existing igneous rocks and volcanic


debris.
 Formation: Formed by explosive volcanic activity or through mechanical processes.
 Example Rocks:
o Volcanic Breccia
o Agglomerate

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