Formation of Magma and Igneous Rocks

1. Formation of Magma and Igneous Rocks Basalt lava flow - Hawaii

2. Formation of Magma and Igneous Rocks • How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • Where do we find igneous rocks? • How and why do rocks melt? • How does magma generation relate to plate tectonics? • What makes igneous rock compositions so diverse? • Why are there so many different types of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions? • What are the types of volcanic hazards? • Why don’t all magmas erupt?

3. Why study igneous rocks? • Igneous rocks result from the solidification of molten silicate liquid (magma) • Why are igneous rocks and processes important? • Location of economically important minerals - ore deposits associated with igneous intrusions • Gives us insight into Earth’s dynamic internal processes • Helps us understand volcanic hazards • Continents built largely by addition of igneous rocks

4. What are igneous processes? • Igneous processes involve the melting of rock to form magma and its solidification into rock. • Igneous rocks form when magma crystallizes below Earth’s surface or erupts onto the Earth’s surface. • Geologists study processes forming igneous rocks through field observations and laboratory studies that include geochemical analyses and experiments (melting and crystallization can be done in the laboratory).

5. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • There are two primary classes of igneous rocks that we see: Volcanic (extrusive) Plutonic (intrusive) • Each has members that vary in: • Composition – the elemental composition of the rock as a whole (controlled by minerals present) • Texture – defined by the size (or range in size) of crystals that comprise the rock

6. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • Volcanic (extrusive) igneous rocks: • Form from flowing lava at the surface - or - • Form from explosively ejected red-hot fragmented magma (pyroclasts) that tend to form glassy deposits • Are composed of very small size crystals due to rapid cooling (this texture is called aphanitic) Basalt

7. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • Gases are also present in magma (up to 5-6%) • Mainly water vapor, some CO2 + sulfur compounds • Gas escapes when magma nears the surface • Escaping gas creates bubbles (vesicles) • Lava is therefore degassed magma

8. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • Plutonic (intrusive) igneous rocks • Form from magma that cools below Earth’s surface • Have crystals that are big enough to see with the unaided eye (texture called phaneritic)

9. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • Composition – primary classification method • As magma cools, minerals will solidify at various temperatures. • Minerals that form depend on the chemical composition of the magma. • Most magma is largely SiO2 (~45 to 80%) with oxides of Al, Mg, Fe, Ca, Na, K – and other minor elements. • So most igneous rocks are made of silicate minerals, but have varying proportions of these elements and thus different proportions of minerals.

10. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • The chemistry of a magma controls the minerals present. • Higher temperature minerals (first to crystallize) are on the right, lower temperature minerals (last to crystallize) are on the left. • Note that dark colored minerals (e.g. olivine, pyroxene) generally form from low SiO2 magmas, light colored minerals (e.g. quartz, K-feldspar) form from high SiO2 magmas.

11. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? Common Igneous Rock Minerals Quartz Feldspar Muscovite Biotite Amphibole Pyroxene Olivine More SiO2 Felsic Mafic Less SiO2

12. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • Texture – secondary classification method • Crystal size is related to cooling rate: • If it cools fast the crystals will be small • Called aphanitic (from the Greek - invisible) • Usually extrusive, but not always (very shallow intrusions) • Obsidian (volcanic glass) cools so fast there are no crystals

13. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • Texture – secondary classification method • Crystal size is related to cooling rate: • If it cools slowly the crystals will be larger • Called phaneritic (from the Greek - visible) • Generally intrusive rocks

14. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • Texture – First Special Case • Porphyritic (porphyry): intrusive (slow cooling) magma erupts and cools quickly. Produces larger, visible crystals in a fine-grained (aphanitic) groundmass. Fig 4.2d

15. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • Texture – Second Special Case • Pyroclastics: Magma that is explosively ejected as red-hot fragmental material and cools quickly, often before it hits the ground. • Bombs – large pieces (what you would call a large rock or boulder) • Lapilli – medium sized (what you would call a rock) • Ash – fine material (what you would call sand or dust)

16. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? Pyroclastics – different size, shape and color Fig 4.4

17. Composition and Texture Finally Come Together – The Big Picture

18. Composition and Texture Finally Come Together – The Big Picture

19. How do we classify igneous rocks into groups? • Composition and texture are used to classify and name igneous rocks. • Pyroclastic deposits are formed by volcanic explosions and are classified by fragment size and degree of consolidation. • Ultramafic, mafic, intermediate, and felsic (silicic) are compositional categories of magma/rocks. • Rapid cooling leads to aphanitic rocks and slow cooling produces coarser grained phaneritic rock. Porphyritic texture contains both (rock called porphyry).

20. Where do we find igneous rocks? • Divergent and convergent plate boundaries • Continental margins above subduction zones • Island arc volcanic chains above subduction zones • Divergent boundaries: mid-ocean ridges, continental rifts • Hot spots • Hawaii – in an ocean basin • Yellowstone – on the N. American continent • Northern part of the E African Rift Valley (sometimes continental rifts, or divergent boundaries within continents, are started by hotspots)