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A QAPF diagram is a doubled-triangle plot diagram used to classify intrusive igneous rocks based on their mineralogy. The acronym QAPF stands for " Quartz, Alkali feldspar, Plagioclase, Feldspathoid (Foid) ", which are the four mineral groups used for classification in a QAPF diagram. The percentages (ratios) of the Q, A, P and F groups are ...
Grain size in igneous rocks results from cooling time so porphyritic rocks are created when the magma has two distinct phases of cooling. [18] Igneous rocks are classified on the basis of texture and composition. Texture refers to the size, shape, and arrangement of the mineral grains or crystals of which the rock is composed. [citation needed]
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.
Silica content is thus the most important chemical criterion for classifying igneous rock. [7] The content of alkali metal oxides is next in importance. [11] About 65% of the Earth's crust by volume consists of igneous rocks. Of these, 66% are basalt and gabbro, 16% are granite, and 17% granodiorite and diorite.
Igneous textures are used by geologists in determining the mode of origin of igneous rocks and are used in rock classification. The six main types of textures are phaneritic, aphanitic, porphyritic, glassy, pyroclastic, and pegmatitic. Aphanitic (a = not, phaner = visible) rocks, in contrast to phaneritic rocks, typically form from lava which ...
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 ...
The rock cycle explains how the three rock types are related to each other, and how processes change from one type to another over time. This cyclical aspect makes rock change a geologic cycle and, on planets containing life, a biogeochemical cycle. Structures of Igneous Rock. Legend: A = magma chamber (batholith); B = dyke /dike; C = laccolith ...
Basalt (UK: / ˈ b æ s ɔː l t,-əl t /; [1] US: / b ə ˈ s ɔː l t, ˈ b eɪ s ɔː l t /) [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.