system of igneous rock classification
1igneous rock — Any of various crystalline or glassy, noncrystalline rocks formed by the cooling and solidification of molten earth material (magma). Igneous rocks comprise one of the three principal classes of rocks, the others being metamorphic and sedimentary …
2rock — rock1 rockless, adj. rocklike, adj. /rok/, n. 1. a large mass of stone forming a hill, cliff, promontory, or the like. 2. Geol. a. mineral matter of variable composition, consolidated or unconsolidated, assembled in masses or considerable… …
3Rock — /rok/, n. a male given name. * * * I In geology, a naturally occurring and coherent aggregate of minerals. The three major classes of rock igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic are based on the processes that formed them. These three classes are… …
4metamorphic rock — Any of a class of rocks that result from the alteration of preexisting rocks in response to changing geological conditions, including variations in temperature, pressure, and mechanical stress. The preexisting rocks may be igneous, sedimentary,… …
5Sedimentary rock — Middle Triassic marginal marine sequence of siltstones (below) and limestones (above), Virgin Formation, southwestern Utah, USA Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth s surface and within… …
6TAS classification — The TAS classification can be used to assign names to many common types of volcanic rocks based upon the relationships between the combined alkali content and the silica content. These chemical parameters are useful, because the relative… …
7sedimentary rock — Rock formed at or near the Earth s surface by the accumulation and lithification of fragments of preexisting rocks or by precipitation from solution at normal surface temperatures. Sedimentary rocks can be formed only where sediments are… …
8Clastic rock — A thin section of a clast (sand grain), derived from a basalt score. Vesicles (air bubbles) can be seen throughout the clast. Plane light above, cross polarized light below. Scale box is 0.25 mm Clastic rocks are composed of fragments, or clasts …
9Moon rock — Olivine basalt collected by Apollo 15. Moon rock describes rock that formed on the Earth s moon. The term is also loosely applied to other lunar materials collected during the course of human exploration of the Moon. The rocks collect …
10Earth Sciences — ▪ 2009 Introduction Geology and Geochemistry The theme of the 33rd International Geological Congress, which was held in Norway in August 2008, was “Earth System Science: Foundation for Sustainable Development.” It was attended by nearly… …
