Types of Rock

Lesson Objectives

 Define rock and describe what rocks are made of.

 Know how to classify and describe rocks.

 Explain how each of the three main rock types formed.

 Describe the rock cycle

 Vocabulary

 crystallization

 erosion

 igneous rock

 metamorphic rock

 metamorphism

 outcrop

 precipitate

 rock cycle

 sediment

 sedimentary rock

 sedimentation

 weathering

 Introduction

There are three types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Each of these types is part of the rock cycle. Through changes in conditions one
rock type can become another rock type. Or it can become a different rock of the same type.

What Are Rocks?A rock is a naturally formed, non-living earth material. Rocks are made of collections of mineral grains that are held together in a
firm, solid mass (Figure below).The different colors and textures seen in this rock are caused by the presence of different minerals.How is a rock
different from a mineral? Rocks are made of minerals. The mineral grains in a rock may be so tiny that you can only see them with a microscope, or they
may be as big as your fingernail or even your finger (Figure below).A pegmatite from South Dakota with crystals of lepidolite, tourmaline, and quartz (1
cm scale on the upper left).Rocks are identified primarily by the minerals they contain and by their texture. Each type of rock has a distinctive set of
minerals. A rock may be made of grains of all one mineral type, such as quartzite. Much more commonly, rocks are made of a mixture of different
minerals. Texture is a description of the size, shape, and arrangement of mineral grains. Are the two samples in Figure below the same rock type? Do
they have the same minerals? The same texture?

Rock samples.

Sample Minerals Texture Formation

Sample 1 plagioclase, quartz, hornblende, pyroxene Crystals, visible to naked eye Magma cooled slowly

Sample 2 plagioclase, hornblende, pyroxene Crystals are tiny or microscopic Magma erupted and cooled quickly

As seen in Table above, these two rocks have the same chemical composition and contain mostly the same minerals, but they do not have the same
texture. Sample 1 has visible mineral grains, but Sample 2 has very tiny or invisible grains. The two different textures indicate different histories. Sample
1 is a diorite, a rock that cooled slowly from magma (molten rock) underground. Sample 2 is an andesite, a rock that cooled rapidly from a very similar
magma that erupted onto Earth’s surface.
Three Main Categories of Rocks

Rocks are classified into three major groups according to how they form. Rocks can be studied in hand samples that can be moved from their original
location. Rocks can also be studied in outcrop, exposed rock formations that are attached to the ground, at the location where they are found.Igneous
RocksIgneous rocks form from cooling magma. Magma that erupts onto Earth’s surface is lava, as seen in Figure below. The chemical composition of
the magma and the rate at which it cools determine what rock forms as the minerals cool and crystallize.This flowing lava is molten rock that will harden
into an igneous rock.

Sedimentary RocksSedimentary rocks form by the compaction and cementing together of sediments, broken pieces of rock-like gravel, sand, silt, or
clay (Figure below). Those sediments can be formed from the weathering and erosion of preexisting rocks. Sedimentary rocks also include
chemical precipitates, the solid materials left behind after a liquid evaporates.This sedimentary rock is made of sand that is cemented together to form a
sandstone.

Metamorphic RocksMetamorphic rocks form when the minerals in an existing rock are changed by heat or pressure within the Earth.

See Figure below for an example of a metamorphic rock.Quartzite is a metamorphic rock formed when quartz sandstone is exposed to heat and

pressure within the Earth.

The Rock CycleRocks change as a result of natural processes that are taking place all the time. Most changes happen very slowly; many take place

below the Earth’s surface, so we may not even notice the changes. Although we may not see the changes, the physical and chemical properties of rocks

are constantly changing in a natural, never-ending cycle called the rock cycle.

The concept of the rock cycle was first developed by James Hutton, an eighteenth century scientist often called the “Father of Geology” (shown
in Figure below). Hutton recognized that geologic processes have “no [sign] of a beginning, and no prospect of an end.” The processes involved in the
rock cycle often take place over millions of years. So on the scale of a human lifetime, rocks appear to be “rock solid” and unchanging, but in the longer
term, change is always taking place.James Hutton is considered the Father of Geology.In the rock cycle, illustrated in Figure below, the three main rock
types – igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic – are shown. Arrows connecting the three rock types show the processes that change one rock type
into another. The cycle has no beginning and no end. Rocks deep within the Earth are right now becoming other types of rocks. Rocks at the surface are
lying in place before they are next exposed to a process that will change them.

The Rock Cycle.Processes of the Rock Cycle

Several processes can turn one type of rock into another type of rock. The key processes of the rock cycle are crystallization, erosion and
sedimentation, and metamorphism.CrystallizationMagma cools either underground or on the surface and hardens into an igneous rock. As the magma
cools, different crystals form at different temperatures, undergoing crystallization. For example, the mineral olivine crystallizes out of magma at much
higher temperatures than quartz. The rate of cooling determines how much time the crystals will have to form. Slow cooling produces larger
crystals.Erosion and SedimentationWeathering wears rocks at the Earth’s surface down into smaller pieces. The small fragments are called
sediments. Running water, ice, and gravity all transport these sediments from one place to another by erosion. During sedimentation, the sediments
are laid down or deposited. In order to form a sedimentary rock, the accumulated sediment must become compacted and cemented
together.MetamorphismWhen a rock is exposed to extreme heat and pressure within the Earth but does not melt, the rock becomes
metamorphosed. Metamorphism may change the mineral composition and the texture of the rock. For that reason, a metamorphic rock may have a
new mineral composition and/or texture.Lesson SummaryRocks are collections of minerals of various sizes and types.The three main rock types are
igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.Crystallization, erosion and sedimentation, and metamorphism transform one rock type into another or change
sediments into rock.The rock cycle describes the transformations of one type of rock to another

ypes of Rocks
Rocks are not all the same!
The three main types, or classes, of rock are sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous and the differences among them have to do with how they are formed.

Sedimentary
Sedimentary rocks are formed from particles of sand, shells, pebbles, and other fragments of material. Together, all these particles are called sediment. Gradually, the sediment
accumulates in layers and over a long period of time hardens into rock. Generally, sedimentary rock is fairly soft and may break apart or crumble easily. You can often see sand,
pebbles, or stones in the rock, and it is usually the only type that contains fossils.

Examples of this rock type include conglomerate and limestone.

Metamorphic
Metamorphic rocks are formed under the surface of the earth from the metamorphosis (change) that occurs due to intense heat and pressure (squeezing). The rocks that result
from these processes often have ribbonlike layers and may have shiny crystals, formed by minerals growing slowly over time, on their surface.

Examples of this rock type include gneiss and marble.

Igneous
Igneous rocks are formed when magma (molten rock deep within the earth) cools and hardens. Sometimes the magma cools inside the earth, and other times it erupts onto the
surface from volcanoes (in this case, it is called lava). When lava cools very quickly, no crystals form and the rock looks shiny and glasslike. Sometimes gas bubbles are trapped
in the rock during the cooling process, leaving tiny holes and spaces in the rock.

Examples of this rock type include basalt and obsidian.