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Igneous rock (igneous from Latin igneus 'fiery'), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. The magma can be derived from partial melts of existing rocks in either a planet 's mantle or crust.
Claystone – Clastic sedimentary rock composed primarily of clay-sized particles. Coal – Combustible sedimentary rock composed primarily of carbon. Conglomerate – Sedimentary rock composed of smaller rock fragments. Coquina – Sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of fragments of shells.
Basalt (UK: / ˈbæsɔːlt, - əlt /; [1] US: / bəˈsɔːlt, ˈbeɪsɔːlt /) [2] is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low- viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of all volcanic rock on Earth is basalt.
Category. : Igneous rocks. Volcanoes portal. Igneous rocks include rocks that have solidified from a melt ( magma) either below the surface of a planet or natural satellite as intrusives or on the surface as extrusives or volcanic eruptions. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Igneous rocks.
A granitic rock with a porphyritic texture is known as a granite porphyry. Granitoid is a general, descriptive field term for lighter-colored, coarse-grained igneous rocks. Petrographic examination is required for identification of specific types of granitoids. Granites can be predominantly white, pink, or gray in color, depending on their ...
Gabbroids (also known as gabbroic-rocks [8]) are a family of coarse-grained igneous rocks similar to gabbro: [10] Quartz gabbro contains 5% to 20% quartz in its QAPF fraction. One example is the cizlakite at Pohorje in northeastern Slovenia, [16] Monzogabbro contains 65% to 90% plagioclase out of its total feldspar content.
For example, an igneous rock such as basalt may break down and dissolve when exposed to the atmosphere, or melt as it is subducted under a continent. Due to the driving forces of the rock cycle, plate tectonics and the water cycle , rocks do not remain in equilibrium and change as they encounter new environments.
Gneiss. Metamorphic rock. Sample of gneiss exhibiting "gneissic banding". Gneiss (/ naɪs / nice) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under pressures anywhere from 2 ...