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Cycle &
Igneous Rocks
Diorite
Coarse grained
Intrusive
Basic/ Mafic
Basalt and Gabbro
Basalt
Fine Grained
Extrusive
Basic
Gabbro
Coarse Grained
Intrusive
Basic/ Mafic
Peridotite
Coarse grained
Intrusive
Ultra basic/ Ultra Mafic
Obsidian
Extrusive
Dark colored
Glassy texture
Pumice
Extrusive
Vesicular texture
Frothy appearance with
numerous voids
Igneous Intrusions
Igneous intrusions are rock bodies that form from
crystallization of magma at depth within earth's crust.
They are categorized based on their shape and overall
size.
They come in a variety of shapes and sizes:
Discordant: cut across pre-existing fabric of rock layers
Dikes are small igneous intrusions that cut across rocks
into which the magma intrudes. They are commonly sheet-
like, only a few meters wide, but possibly laterally
extensive. Think of magma invading a vertical or near-
vertical fracture in rock. Igneous rock would fill the crack
due to crystallization of magma. One would call the rock
body a dike.
Stocks are fairly large (10s of miles) igneous intrusions that
cut across pre-existing rock layers. In size, they are on the
order of an individual mountain peak.
Batholiths are huge igneous intrusions made of many
stocks. Their size is on the scale of an entire mountain
range (100s of miles).
Concordant: follow pre-existing fabric of rock layers
without interruption of layering.
Sills are also small igneous intrusions. They are sheets of
rock that, unlike dikes, are parallel to pre-existing rocks.
Think of magma invading sedimentary rocks by spreading
out between rock layers. That magma would cool to form a
sill.
Laccoliths are rather large, mushroom-shaped intrusions
that puff up in the center due to gases.
Lopoliths are also large, inverted mushroom-shaped
(spoon-shaped) intrusions that sag down in the middle
because of dense rocks.
Rock is a natural geological composite material composed of
grains held together by cohesive forces. The resultant
grainy structures in rock can be clearly observed. This
configuration often results in rocks having heterogeneities,
anisotropies, discontinuities, inelasticity, and commonly,
weaknesses and defects. Mechanical failure can be
triggered by initial weaknesses, resulting in crack
propagations.