Classification of igneous rocks is a confusing aspect of geology partly due to the nature of

magmas, and partly due to the various criteria that could potentially be used to classify rocks.

 Factors such as cooling conditions, chemical composition of the original magma, and
weathering effects, give rise to a potential infinite variety of igneous rocks, and thus a
classification scheme based solely on the description of the rock would eventually lead
to a plethora of rock names.

 Magmas, from which all igneous rocks are derived, are complex liquid solutions whose
chemical composition can vary continuously within a range of compositions.

 Because of the continuous variation in chemical composition limits cannot be set within
a classification scheme.

 Various criteria to classify igneous rocks are:

- Minerals present in the rock

- Texture
- Colour
- Chemical composition
-

2. Minerals Present in the Rock (the mode) and their relative proportions in the
rock depend largely on

 the chemical composition of the magma.

 But, volcanic rocks usually have their crystallization interrupted by

eruption and rapid cooling on the surface. So these cannot be
classified solely on the basis of minerals present.

For example theoretically, dacite is a rock that contains small

amounts of quartz, somewhat larger amounts of sanidine or alkali
feldspar, plagioclase, biotite, and hornblende.

But practically a dacite that contains alkali feldspar is yet to be

seen.

These are the minerals that should crystallize from a dacite

magma, but don't because the crystallization history is interrupted
by rapid cooling on the surface.

Modal Igneous Classification

A modal classification classifies igneous rocks on the relative abundance of five minerals they
may contain:

(1) Quartz,
(2) Alkali feldspars (orthoclase, but including albite [sodium plagioclase] if anorthite [calcium
Based on the information obtainable at various stages of examining the rocks,
geologists classify the rocks.

So the name may change as more and more information is obtained with detailed
investigation.

1. In the field, a simple field based classification must be used. This is usually
based on mineralogical content and texture.

For plutonic rocks, the IUGS system of classification can be used.

For volcanic rocks, the following table can be used.

Simple Field Classification of Volcanic Rocks

Rock Other Minerals (may or may not be

Essential Minerals*
Name present)
Basalt Olivine Cpx, Opx, Plag.
Olivine + Feldspathoid
Basanite Cpx, Plag.
(Nepheline/ Leucite)
No olivine, abundant
Andesite Cpx, Opx, Hornblende
Plagioclase
Trachyte Sanidine + Plagioclase Na-Cpx, Hornblende, Biotite
Dacite Plagioclase + Hornblende Cpx, Opx, Biotite
Sanidine, Biotite, Plag., Hornblende,
Rhyolite Quartz
Cpx, Opx
* The amount of glass in the groundmass increases, in general, from the top to the
bottom of the chart.
2. In the laboratory thin sections can be made and examined, and refinements
in the mineralogical and textural classification made.

3. Chemical analyses can be obtained, and a chemical classification, such as

the LeBas et al., IUGS chemical classification of volcanic rocks (based on
total alkalies [Na2O + K2O] vs. SiO2 diagram shown below) made.

Each stage of the process has limitations, the classification may change, but it is
not only for the individual investigator, but anyone else.

Thus, the classification scheme should be employed in a consistent manner so that

later investigators can understand what one is talking about at each stage of the
process.
General Chemical Classifications

SiO2 (Silica) Content

> 66 wt. % - Acid

52-66 wt% - Intermediate

45-52 wt% - Basic

< 45 wt % - Ultrabasic

This terminology is based on the onetime idea that rocks with a high % SiO2 were
precipitated from waters with a high concentration of hyrdosilicic acid H4SiO4.

Although it is now known that this is not true, the acid/base terminology is well
entrenched in the literature.

Silica Saturation

If a magma is oversaturated with respect to Silica then a silica mineral, such as

quartz, cristobalite, tridymite, or coesite, should precipitate from the magma, and be
present in the rock.

On the other hand, if a magma is undersaturated with respect to silica, then a silica
mineral should not precipitate from the magma, and thus should not be present in
the rock.

The silica saturation concept can be used to divide rocks in

silica undersaturated,

silica saturated, and

silica oversaturated rocks.

The first and last of these terms are most easily seen.

 Silica Undersaturated Rocks - In these rocks we should find minerals that,

in general, do not occur with quartz.

Such minerals are:

Nepheline- NaAlSiO4 Leucite - KAlSi2O6

Forsteritic Olivine - Mg2SiO4 Sodalite - 3NaAlSiO4.NaCl

Perovskite - CaTiO3 Melanite - Ca2Fe+3Si3O12

Melilite - (Ca,Na)2(Mg,Fe+2,Al,Si)3O7

Thus, if we find any of these minerals in a rock, with an exception,

then we can expect the rock to be silica undersaturated.

If we calculate a CIPW Norm, the normative minerals that occur in

silica undersaturated rocks are nepheline and/or leucite.

 Silica Oversaturated Rocks. These rocks can be identified as

possibly any rock that does not contain one of the minerals in the
above list.

If we calculate a CIPW Norm, silica oversaturated rocks will contain

normative quartz.

 Silica Saturated Rocks. These are rocks that contain just enough
silica that quartz does not appear, and just enough silica that one
of the silica undersaturated minerals does not appear.

In the CIPW norm, these rocks contain olivine, or hypersthene +

olivine, but no quartz, no nepheline, and no leucite.

To get an idea about what silica saturation means, let's look at a simple
silicate system - the system Mg2SiO4 - SiO2

Compositions between Fo
and En will end their
crystallization with only Fo
olivine and enstatite.
These are SiO2-
undersaturated.
compositions. All
compositions between En
and SiO2 will end their
crystallization with quartz
and enstatite. These are
SiO2 - oversaturated
compositions.

Note also that this can

cause some confusion in
volcanic rocks that do not
complete their
crystallization due to rapid
cooling on the surface.

Let's imagine first a

composition in the silica-
undersaturated field.
Cooling to anywhere on
the liquidus will result in
the crystallization of Fo-
rich olivine.

If this liquid containing

olivine is erupted and the
rest of the liquid quenches
to a glass, then this will
produce a rock with
phenocrysts of olivine in a
glassy groundmass.
If silica oversaturated composition liquid (just to the left of the point labeled 'P') is
cooled to the liquidus and olivine is allowed to crystallize, and is then quenched on
the surface, it will contain phenocrysts of Fo-rich olivine in a glassy groundmass.

Applying the criteria above would suggest that this rock is also silica
undersaturated, but we know it is not.

This illustrates one of the difficulties of applying any criteria of classification to

volcanic rocks where incomplete crystallization/reaction has not allowed all
minerals to form.

Incompatible Phases

Under magmatic conditions some minerals react with free silica to form other (more
silica-rich) minerals. These reactant minerals are said to be undersaturated (with
respect to SiO2). Other minerals are stable (can coexist) with free silica (generally in
the form of quartz) and are said to be saturated (with respect to SiO2).
Typical reactions are:
 2SiO2 + NaAlSiO4 =======> NaAlSi3O8
quartz + nepheline =======> albite
 2SiO2 + KAlSiO4 =======> KAlSi3O8
quartz + kalsilite =======> orthoclase
 SiO2 + KAlSiO4 =======> KAlSi2O6
quartz + kalsilite =======> leucite
 SiO2 + Mg2SiO4 =======> 2MgSiO3
quartz + Mg-rich olivine =======> enstatite

Shand (1927) proposed the following list of minerals, subdivided on the basis of
silica saturation and/or undersaturation, i.e. those that coexist with quartz (+Q) and
those that do not coexist with quartz (-Q).

Saturated (+Q) Undersaturated (-Q)

all feldspars leucite

all pyroxenes nepheline
all amphiboles sodalite
micas cancrinite
fayalite (Fe-rich olivine) analcite
spessartine Mn3Al2(SiO4)3 forsterite (Mg-rich olivine)
almandine Fe3Al2(SiO4)3 melanite (Ti garnet)
sphene andradite
zircon Ca3(Fe,Ti)2(SiO4)3
topaz pyrope Mg3Al2(SiO4)3
magnetite perovskite
ilmenite melilite
apatite corundum
calcite

Undersaturated and saturated minerals can coexist stably under magmatic

conditions, but quartz, tridymite and christobalite can only coexist stably with
saturated minerals. For example Q + ne is an impossible igneous assemblage, as
is Q + ol (Mg - rich) (see reactions above), but Q + ol (Fe- rich) is stable.

A classification of the phaneritic igneous rocks: Phaneritic rocks with more than
10% (quartz + feldspars + feldspathoids). After IUGS

A Classification of the phaneritic igneous rocks: Gabbroic rocks. IUGS

classification.
 A Classification of the phaneritic igneous rocks. Ultramafic rocks. After IUGS

A Classification and nomenclature of volcanic rocks. After IUGS.

A chemical classification of volcanics based on total alkali vs silica. After Le Maitre
(2002).

Alumina (Al2O3) Saturation

After silica, alumina is the second most abundant oxide constituent in igneous
rocks.

Feldspars are, in general, the most abundant minerals that occur in igneous rocks.

Thus, the concept of alumina saturation is based on whether or not there is an

excess or lack of Al to make up the feldspars. Note that Al2O3 occurs in feldspars in
a ratio of 1 Al to 1 Na, 1K, or 1 Ca:

KAlSi3O8 -- 1/2K2O : 1/2Al2O3

NaAlSi3O8 -- 1/2Na2O : 1/2Al2O3

CaAl2Si2O8 -- 1CaO : 1Al2O3

Three possible conditions exist.

1. If there is an excess of Alumina over that required to form feldspars, we say

that the rock is peraluminous. This condition is expressed chemically on a
molecular basis as:

Al2O3 > (CaO + Na2O + K2O)

In peraluminous. rocks we expect to find an Al2O3-rich mineral present as a

modal mineral - such as

muscovite [KAl3Si3O10(OH)2],

corundum [Al2O3],

topaz [Al2SiO4(OH,F)2], or

an Al2SiO5- mineral like kyanite, andalusite, or sillimanite.

Peraluminous rocks will have corundum [Al2O3] in the CIPW norm and no
diopside in the norm.

2. Metaluminous rocks are those for which the molecular percentages are as
follows:

Al2O3 < (CaO + Na2O + K2O) and Al2O3 > (Na2O + K2O)

These are the more common types of igneous rocks.

They are characterized by lack of an Al2O3-rich mineral and lack of sodic

pyroxenes and amphiboles in the mode.

3. Peralkaline rocks are those that are oversaturated with alkalies (Na2O +
K2O), and thus undersaturated with respect to Al2O3.

On a molecular basis, these rocks show:

Al2O3 < (Na2O + K2O)

Peralkaline rocks are distinguished by the presence of Na-rich minerals like

aegerine [NaFe+3Si2O6],

riebeckite [Na2Fe3+2Fe2+3Si8O22(OH)2],

arfvedsonite [Na3Fe4+2(Al,Fe+3)Si8O22(OH)2 ], or

aenigmatite [Na2Fe5+2TiO2Si6O18] in the mode.

In the CIPW norm, acmite [NaFe+3Si2O6 ] and/or sodium metasilicate

 Na2SiO3 will occur as normative minerals.

Alkaline/Subalkaline Rocks

One last general classification scheme divides rocks that are alkaline from those
that are subalkaline.

Note that this criteria is based solely on an alkali vs. silica diagram, as shown
below.

Alkaline rocks should not be confused with peralkaline rocks as discussed above.

While most peralkaline rocks are also alkaline, alkaline rocks are not necessarily
peralkaline.

On the other hand, very alkaline rocks, that is those that plot well above the dividing
line in the figure below, are also usually silica undersaturated.
A method for plotting a composition A with 70% X, 20% Z and 10% Y

Examples of Questions on this material that could be on an Exam

1. Define the following terms: (a) Mode, (b) Norm, (c) silica saturation (d)
peralkaline, (e) peraluminous, (f) metaluminous, (g) acid igneous rock.

2. Which of the following minerals, if found in a rock, would indicate that the
rock is undersaturated with respect to silica? (choose all that apply)
(a) nepheline, (b) leucite, (c) plagioclase, (d) quartz, (e) muscovite, (f)
sodalite, (g) anorthite, (h) aegerine

3. Which of the following minerals, if found in a rock, would indicate that the
rock is peraluminous? (choose all that apply) (a) nepheline, (b) leucite, (c)
plagioclase, (d) quartz, (e) muscovite, (f) corrundum, (g) kyanite, (h)
reibeckite

4. Which of the following minerals, if found in a rock, would indicate that the
rock is peralkaline? (choose all that apply) (a) nepheline, (b) leucite, (c)
plagioclase, (d) quartz, (e) muscovite, (f) corrundum, (g) aegerine, (h)
reibeckite, (i) aenigmatite.

5. How are igneous rocks formed?

6. What is magma made of?

7. What causes magma to crystallise?

8. Explain how the randomly arranged crystalline texture of most igneous

rocks originates.
 9. What are the grain size ranges used in the classification of igneous rocks?

10. What is the relationship between crystal size & cooling.

11. Use a diagram to illustrate what sort of igneous bodies you would find the
following crystal sizes in (include variation within bodies):

a) Glassy b) Fine c) Medium d) Coarse

12. What does the TEXTURE of an igneous rock describe?

13. Using diagrams, describe & explain the origin of the following textural
features of igneous rocks:

a) Euhedral b) Subhedral c) Anhedral

d) Glassy e) Equigranular f)Porphyritic

g) Vesicular h) Amygdaloidal

14. Explain the use of the following terms describing the composition of
igneous rocks & state the essential rock forming minerals in each group.

a) Acid b) Intermediate c) Basic

15. Describe & explain the colour index of Acid/Intermediate/Basic igneous

rocks.

16. Complete the Igneous Rocks Classification table

17. Describe the following rock types (including Texture, Composition, Field
relations)

a) Granite b) Gabbro c) Dolerite d) Basalt

18. Q. Look at the diagram below, which rock cooled the fastest? slowest?

19. What kinds of igneous rocks have the same mineral composition?
a) rhyolite and granite, b) rhyolite and basalt, c) granite and gabbro, d) granite and
basalt

20. Which fine-grained igneous rock is made up primarily of pyroxene and

plagioclase feldspar?
a) gabbro, b) basalt, c) granite, or d) rhyolite