Rocks & Minerals

Learning objectives:
1. Distinguish rocks from minerals.
2. Understand the types of rocks and the
rock cycle.
 Where we are
• Today: Rocks & Minerals
• Next: Intrusive Igneous Rocks
• Then: Volcanoes
 Today’s Plan
• Rocks vs. Minerals
- Minerals in rocks
• Rock Types
• Rock Cycle
• (Perhaps start discussing igneous rocks)
Rocks vs. Minerals
 Rocks vs. Minerals
• [Show granite and discuss]
 Rocks vs. Minerals
• [Show granite and discuss]
• Note that this is not what we mean by “mineral”
 Rocks vs. Minerals
• [Show granite and discuss]
• Note that this is not what we mean by “mineral”
• [Show conglomerate]
Rock Types
 Rock Types
• Four main rocks types - what are they?
 Rock Types
• Four main rocks types - what are they?
- Igneous
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic
 Rock Types
• Four main rocks types - what are they?
- Igneous
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic
- (Hydrothermal)
 Rock Types
• Four main rocks types - what are they?
- Igneous
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic
- (Hydrothermal)
• How are they different?
 Rock Types
• Four main rocks types - what are they?
- Igneous
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic
- (Hydrothermal)
• How are they different?
• Can you give examples?
Igneous Rock
Sedimentary
Rock
Metamorphic Rock

1 cm
Hydrothermal Rock
What happens to rocks?
• Pair activity:
- Draw the rock cycle
Activity
 Activity
• Get into groups of 2-3
 Activity
• Get into groups of 2-3
• Choose one of the rocks: granite, conglomerate,
or schist
 Activity
• Get into groups of 2-3
• Choose one of the rocks: granite, conglomerate,
or schist
• Consider what path through the rock cycle we
might have evidence for in the rock
 Activity
• Get into groups of 2-3
• Choose one of the rocks: granite, conglomerate,
or schist
• Consider what path through the rock cycle we
might have evidence for in the rock
• Tell a “story” of what might have happened to
produce this rock
 Activity
• Get into groups of 2-3
• Choose one of the rocks: granite, conglomerate,
or schist
• Consider what path through the rock cycle we
might have evidence for in the rock
• Tell a “story” of what might have happened to
produce this rock
- including the part we might have evidence for
 Activity
• Get into groups of 2-3
• Choose one of the rocks: granite, conglomerate,
or schist
• Consider what path through the rock cycle we
might have evidence for in the rock
• Tell a “story” of what might have happened to
produce this rock
- including the part we might have evidence for
- and the part that there is no evidence for
 Activity
• Get into groups of 2-3
• Choose one of the rocks: granite, conglomerate,
or schist
• Consider what path through the rock cycle we
might have evidence for in the rock
• Tell a “story” of what might have happened to
produce this rock
- including the part we might have evidence for
- and the part that there is no evidence for
• make up something plausible
And now let’s talk
about...
Igneous Rocks
 Igneous Rocks
• Igneous rock textures: intrusive vs. extrusive
 Igneous Rocks
• Igneous rock textures: intrusive vs. extrusive
• How magmas are produced: melting in the earth
 Igneous Rocks
• Igneous rock textures: intrusive vs. extrusive
• How magmas are produced: melting in the earth
• How magmas change from original basalt
 Igneous Rocks
• Igneous rock textures: intrusive vs. extrusive
• How magmas are produced: melting in the earth
• How magmas change from original basalt
• Intrusive features
Igneous Rocks
 Igneous Rocks
• What are they? How are they different from
other rocks?
 Igneous Rocks
• What are they? How are they different from
other rocks?
- Cool from molten rock (magma)!
 Igneous Rocks
• What are they? How are they different from
other rocks?
- Cool from molten rock (magma)!
• Name some igneous rock types
 Textures and Cooling
• Slow cooling = big crystals (intrusive)
• Fast cooling = small crystals (extrusive)
• Instant cooling=glass
 Cooperative Quiz
• Look at the photos of igneous rocks
and vote:
A. Fast cooling (at or near Earth’s surface)
B. Slow cooling (kilometers beneath surface)
C. Cannot tell from photo

• Note: All rocks shown are about 10 cm across

(about 4 inches)
A - fast B - slow C - can’t tell
A - fast B - slow C - can’t tell
A - fast B - slow C - can’t tell
A - fast B - slow C - can’t tell
A - fast B - slow C - can’t tell
 05.02.b1-8

Felsic
Granite 05.02.b1-8

Felsic
Granite 05.02.b1-8

Felsic Intermediate
Granite Diorite 05.02.b1-8

Felsic Intermediate
Granite Diorite 05.02.b1-8

Felsic Intermediate Mafic

Granite Diorite Gabbro 05.02.b1-8

Felsic Intermediate Mafic

Granite Diorite Gabbro 05.02.b1-8

Felsic Intermediate Mafic Ultramafic

Granite Diorite Gabbro Peridotite 05.02.b1-8

Felsic Intermediate Mafic Ultramafic

Granite Diorite Gabbro Peridotite 05.02.b1-8

Rhyolite
Felsic Intermediate Mafic Ultramafic
Granite Diorite Gabbro Peridotite 05.02.b1-8

Rhyolite Andesite
Felsic Intermediate Mafic Ultramafic
Granite Diorite Gabbro Peridotite 05.02.b1-8

Rhyolite Andesite Basalt

Felsic Intermediate Mafic Ultramafic
Granite Diorite Gabbro Peridotite

Rhyolite Andesite Basalt Ultramafic lava

Felsic Intermediate Mafic Ultramafic
coarse
fine
coarse
fine
Actually, ultramafic rocks
have so much olivine that
they appear green
continental ocean crust mantle
 Magma density
• Magmas are (usually) less dense than the rocks
around them.
• If they reach the surface: Volcanism!
• If not...
 Intrusive features
• Represent magma that solidified (froze) after it
stopped moving
- dike
- sill
- pluton
- batholith
a large body of
igneous rock
 Show Igneous
Features animation
A Cooperative Quiz
 A Cooperative Quiz
• True or false: Igneous intrusions range in scale
from a few cm3 to thousands of km3
d’Alessio, UC Berkeley