EESB15

 -­‐  Lab  2:        Flow  chart  -­‐  ID  of  Igneous  Rocks

texture Colour   Minerals Rock  Name Colour  index Rock  type  (texture)
white  (plagioclase),  white  pearly  
(muscovite),  grey  (quartz),  pink  (K-­‐
light  (white  -­‐  light  grey) Granite Felsic
Feldspar),  black  biotite,  black  
amphibole
Salt  and  Pepper:  White  
Coarse  grained   intermediate  (grey) (plagioclase),  black  (mphibole  or   Diorite   intermediate
(=phaneritic,  all   pyroxene)
Plutonic  /  Intrusive
crystals  visible  by   very  little  white  (plagioclase),  
naked  eye) mostly  black  (pyroxene,  
dark  (black,  dark  grey) Gabbro mafic
amphibole),  possibly  green  
(olivine)

olive  green  (olivine)  and  

light-­‐dark  green  to  black Peridotite ultramafic
black/dark  green/grey  (pyroxene)

light  (white  -­‐  light  grey  -­‐  

Rhyolite Felsic
pink/orange/reddish)
Fine  grained  (=  
not  visible,  can't  determine  (give  
aphanitic,  no  visible  
intermediate  (grey) average  mineral  composition  of   Andesite intermediate Volcanic  /  Extrusive
crystals  noticable  by  
composition  chart)
naked  eyes) dark  (black,  dark  grey,  
brown/reddish  varnish  =   Basalt mafic
oxidation)

a  few  crystals  visible  (mm  size):  K-­‐

light  (white  -­‐  light  grey  -­‐  
Feldspar  (white/pink/grey)  or   Rhyolite  Porphyry Felsic
pink/orange/reddish)
Biotite  (black)
very  fine  grained  
a  few  crystals  visible  (mm  size):   Volcanic  /  Extrusive  
groundmass  (matrix)        
intermediate  (grey) Amphibole  (black),  Biotite  (black)   Andesite  Porphyry intermediate (also  possibly  in  
+          some  larger  
and/or  Plagioclase  (white/grey) dikes/sills)
crystals  (phenocrysts)
dark  (black,  dark  grey,  
a  few  crystals  visible  (mm  size):  
brown/reddish  varnish  =   Basalt  Porphyry mafic
olivine  (olive  green)
oxidation)

conchoidal  fracturing  (curving  

Glassy  (quenched) black,  red,  brown,  greyish Obsidian felsic
surfaces,  sharp  edges)

tiny  glassy  needles  (grey-­‐white),  

light  (white  -­‐  light  grey)  +  
rarely:  small  darker  fragments   Pumice Felsic
very  light
included

Vesicular  (cellular,   dark  (black,  dark  grey,   Volcanic  /  Extrusive    

full  of  holes,  often   brown/reddish  varnish  =   mostly  holes Scoria mafic (Pyroclastic  or  flow  
very  light  weight) oxidation)  +  very  light product)
dark  (black,  dark  grey,  
brown/reddish  varnish  =  
rock  with  some  holes Vesicular  basalt mafic
oxidation)        +  rather  
heavy

small,  welded  volcanic  fragments,  

any  colour,  volcanic   volcanic  tuff
often  stretched  out depends  on   Volcanic  /  Extrusive  
Fragmental fragments  cemented  
angular  volcanic  fragments  larger   composition (sedimentary)  rock
together volcanic  breccia
than  64  mm

Grain  size:
Coarse  grained:    larger  than  1  mm  (visible  by  naked  eye)
fine  grained:              smaller  than  1  mm  (not  visible  by  naked  eye,  need  hand  lens)