FACULTY OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL

ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF GEOTECHNICAL &
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

ENGINEERING GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSIC LABORATORY

REPORT

SUBJECT CODE BFC 21303

TEST CODE & TITLE LAB 1 IDENTIFICATION OF ROCKS AND
MINERALS
COURSE CODE BFF
TESTING DATE 3 JANUARY 2011
STUDENT NAME MUHAMMAD RIDHWAN BIN KAMARUDIN (DF100038)
SECTION/GROUP SECTION 1
GROUP MEMBER NAMES 1. MUHAMMAD IKHWAN BIN ZAINUDDIN (DF100018)
2.MUHAMMAD ZAMIR BIN SAMEON (DF100065)
3.MUKHLIS BIN ADAM (DF100080)
4. MUHAMMAD NUH BIN AHMAD ZAIRI (DF100093)
5. HANISAH BINTI HAMZAH (DF100052)
LECTURER/ INSTRUCTOR/ IR. AGUS BIN SULAEMAN
TUTOR NAME
REPORT RECEIVED DATE 17 JANUARY 2011
MARKS ATTENDANCE, /15%
DISCIPLINE &
INVOLVEMENT
DATA ANALYSES /20%
RESULT /20%
DISCUSSION /25%
CONCLUSION /20%
TOTAL /100%
EXAMINER COMMENT RECEIVED STAMP
1.0 TOPIC : IDENTIFICATION OF MINERALS (LAB 1A)

1.1 OBJECTIVE
To familiar with the physical properties of minerals in laboratory by hand.

1.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students should able to identify various specimens of mineral by physical
testing. Students should able to identify minerals content in rock formation.

1.3 THEORY
Each mineral possesses certain physical properties or characteristics by which it may be
recognized or identified. Some are subjected to certain simple tests. Physical properties are
useful in mineral identification.

A mineral can be defined as a natural inorganic substance having a particular chemical

composition or range of composition, and a regular atomic structure to which its crystalline
from is related. To study rocks, it is necessary to know the rock forming minerals.

1.4 EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

a) Minerals from Reference Set
b) Hardness Pens Set
c) Information & Hints
d) Eye dropper bottle with dilute HCI (appx. 10% solution)
e) Mineral Identification Chart

1.5 PROCEDURE
Students should learn to familiarize and observe the samples according by doing few
physical tests and tabulate the results from the observation in the Table 1.1 attached for:

a) Name of mineral
b) Colour
c) Luster
d) Hardness
e) Reaction with acid
f) Others/usage

1.6 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

1.6.1 MINERALS NAMES
Refer to the samples prepared (Mineral from reference set).

1.6.2 COLOUR
The colour of the mineral is that seen by eye. Colour may be influenced by
impurities in the sample, the light in the room or strong reflective surfaces.
Therefore, colour is a general rather than specific indicator.

1.6.3 STREAK
Streak is the colour of a mineral in its powdered form. We can observe streak when
we scraped a mineral along a roughened surface such as unglazed pottery
(porcelain slab streak plate), that mark left behind can be a characteristic feature
of the mineral. The streak is not necessarily the same as the colour of the mineral.
 1.6.4 LUSTRE
Luster is reflected from the surface of a mineral, the amount of light is a function of
the state of the surface. Luster is described in terms of the degree of brightness.

Metallic Like polished metal

Submetallic Less brilliant
Dull e.g. chalk
Viterous Like broken glass

1.6.5 HARDNESS
The resistance of a mineral to abrasion (scratching) is termed hardness. This
property is determined by rubbing the mineral to be identified against another
mineral of known hardness. One will stretch the other (unless they have the same
hardness). Geologists used a standard hardness scale, called the Mohs scale
developed by German Mineralogist Friedrich Mohs (1773 1839) which assigns
relative hardnesses to several common and a few rare and precious minerals as
given below.

Relative hardness Minerals Mineralogy

10 Diamond Carbon
9 Corundum Alumina
8 Topaz Aluminium silicate
7 Quartz Silica
6 Feldspar Alkali silica
5 Apatite Calcium phosphate
4 Fluorite Calcium fluoride
3 Calcite Calcium carbonate
1.6.6 2 Gypsum Hydrated calcium sulphate
1 Talc Hydrated magnesium silicate

REACTION WITH ACID

When dilute hydrochloric acid (typically 10%) is capped on to some minerals a
reaction takes place. On calcite (CaCO3) bubbles of carbon dioxide are produced, in
some iron sulphide ores, hydrogen sulphide is produced.

1.7 QUESTION AND DISCUSSION

Briefly describe and explain two (2) classifications for each type

Mineral are classified on their chemistry, particularly on the anionic element or

polyanionic group of element that occur in the mineral. An anion is a negatively charge
atom, and a polyanion is strongly bound group of atoms consisting of a cation plus several
anions (typically oxygen) that has anet negative charge. This classification has been
successful because mineral rarely contain more than one anion or polyanion, whereas they
typically contain several different cations.
 Silicate Mineral
A group of minerals contains SiO444- as the dominant polyanion. In these minerals the
Si4+ cation is always surrounded by 4 oxygen in the form of a tetrahedron.
Because Si and O are the most abundant elements in the Earth, this is the largest
group of minerals and is divided into subgroups based on the degree of polymerization
of the SiO4 tetrahedra.
Silicate minerals are complex in both chemistry and crystal structure but every silicate
minerals contains a basic structural unit called the silica tetrahedron with crystal
structure.
Approximately 30% of all minerals are silicates and some geologist estimate that the
crust has been about 95% silicate minerals, of which some 60% is feldspar and 12%
quartz.
Silicate classification is based on the following types of linkage :-
i) Single chains pyroxene
ii) Double chains amphiboles
iii) Two dimensional sheets minerals micas, chlorites & clay minerals
iv) Three dimensional frameworks feldspar and quartz.

Non Silicate Minerals

The non-silicate minerals are those minerals that do not contain silica tetrahedron.
These minerals are generally can be classified as :-
i) Oxides and Hydroxides
ii) Carbonates and Sulfates
iii) Halides

1.8 CONCLUSION

Base on our result, there have its significance of mineral samples in construction
industry. Minerals and rock are important especially to civil engineers because in designing
any new structures or underground works, engineers must be able to evaluate and
distribute natural minerals present at site to incorporate during the design stage and
chemicals characteristic or minerals and rock that make up the Earths crust.

Beside that, knowledge of minerals is essential for engineers who deals with earth
materials since minerals are partially responsible for the physical and mechanical
properties of rock and soils encountered in mines, tunnels, opencasts and excavation.

As a result, from the experiment we can identify the physical properties of minerals
where it is very useful in minerals identification. It is necessary to study the minerals before
get to now rocks.
 TABLE 1.1 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS IDENTIFICATION
NAME COLOUR STREAK LUSTER HARDNESS REACTION WITH ACID SKETCH

Copper Ore Gold Olive Grey Submetallic 5

(Chacopyrite) 5Y 4/1

Graphite Silver Med. Light Grey Metallic 2

Garnet Dark Pale Yellowish Submetallic 9

Chocolate Brown
Brown 10YR 6/2

Hornblende Black Greenish Grey Metallic 4

(Amphibole) 5GY 6/1

Zinc Ore Dark Brown Greyish Yellow Metallic 3

(Sphalerite) 5Y 8/4
 Iron Ore Grey Silver Moderate Brown Submetallic 8
(Hematite). 5YR 4/4
Ferric Oxide

Iron Ore Orange + Dark Yellowish Dull 4

(Limonite) yellow Orange
10YR 6/6

Talc White White Submetallic 2

Metallic

Microclime Peach White Submetallic 6

(Orthoclase)

Aluminium Ore Light Brown Very Pale Orange Dull 4

(Bauxite) 10YR 8/2
2.0 TOPIC : IDENTIFICATION OF IGNEOUS ROCK (LAB 1B)

2.1 OBJECTIVE
To recognize, identified and observed distinguishing features of igneous rock specimen in
the laboratory.

2.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES

a) Students should able to recognize types of igneous rock formation in Malaysia and
Worldwide.
b) Students should able to evaluate the physical properties of igneous rocks for civil
engineering application.
c) Students should able to understand igneous rock forming on the earth.

2.3 THEORY
a) Criteria for distinguishing igneous rock
In describing any rock, one should proceed from the general to the particular, nothing
firstly its colour, behaviour on weathering and any other striking features and then
deciding whether it is igneous or other types of rock. The outstanding characteristics of
the igneous rocks is given below, but must be emphasized that one characteristic by
itself proof positive that the rock belongs to a certain class.

Rock Type Characteristic

Interlocking grains, massive structures
Texture such as glassy, prophyritic, phaneritic, aphantic
Igneous
High feldspar or ferromagnesian content
Absent of stratification or fossils

b) Description
c)
Physical
Colour
characteristics
Massive rock is uniform in appearance showing no banding
Structure or other structural features
Pegmatite the rock is very coarse grained
Vesicular the rock contains many cavities
Crystallinty or degree of crystallization
Holocrystalline wholly crystalline
Hemicrystalline partly crystals and partly glass
Holohyaline wholly glass
Textur
e
Granularity, the size of crystals
Fine-grained when particles are 1 mm or less in diameter
Medium grained when particles are 1 5 mm or more in
diameter
Coarse grained when the particles are 5 mm or more in
diameter

2.4 EQUIMENT AND MATERIALS

a) Igneous rock from reference set
b) Igneous classification chart
2.5 PROCEDURE
Students should learn to familiarize and observe the samples by referring the igneous
classification charts and tabulate the results observation in the Tables 1.2.1 attached.

2.6 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

a) Rock name
b) Texture
c) Colour
d) Mineral composition
e) Chemical composition
f) Origin
g) Sketch / Others

2.7 QUESTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Briefly explain two (2) types of igneous rock

There are various ways of classifying igneous rocks. The most significant are
mineralogical and chemical composition and rock texture (geological environment). Igneous
rock are either formed Intrusive and Extrusive Rocks.

Intrusive Rocks
Intrusive igneous rocks are formed from magma that cools and solidifies within the crust of
a planet. Surrounded by pre-existing rock (calledcountry rock), the magma cools slowly,
and as a result these rocks are coarse grained. The mineral grains in such rocks can
generally be identified with the naked eye.

Extrusive Rock
Extrusive igneous rocks are formed at the crust's surface as a result of the partial melting of
rocks within the mantle and crust. Extrusive Igneous rocks cool and solidify quicker than
intrusive igneous rocks. Since the rocks cool very quickly they are fine grained.

2. Explain the igneous rock classification according to the texture and chemical and mineral
composition.

Textural criteria are less critical in classifying intrusive rocks where the majority of
minerals will be visible to the naked eye or at least using a hand lens, magnifying glass or
microscope. Plutonic rocks tend also to be less texturally varied and less prone to gaining
structural fabrics. Textural terms can be used to differentiate different intrusive phases of
large plutons, for instance porphyritic margins to large intrusive bodies, porphyry stocks and
subvolcanic dikes. Mineralogical classification is used most often to classify plutonic rocks.

Chemical classifications are preferred to classify volcanic rocks, with phenocryst

species used as a prefix, example "olivine-bearing picrite" or "orthoclase-phyric rhyolite".
Igneous rocks can be classified according to chemical or mineralogical parameters.
Chemical with total alkali-silica content for volcanic rock classification used when modal or
mineralogic data is unavailable:

acid igneous rocks containing a high silica content, greater than 63% SiO2 (examples
granite and rhyolite)
intermediate igneous rocks containing between 52 - 63% SiO2 (example andesite and
dacite)
basic igneous rocks have low silica 45 - 52% and typically high iron - magnesium
content (example gabbro and basalt)
ultrabasic igneous rocks with less than 45% silica. (examples picrite and komatiite)
alkalic igneous rocks with 5 - 15% alkali (K2O + Na2O) content or with a molar ratio of
alkali to silica greater than 1:6. (examples phonolite and trachyte)
 An idealized mineralogy (the normative mineralogy) can be calculated from the
chemical composition, and the calculation is useful for rocks too fine-grained or too altered
for identification of minerals that crystallized from the melt. For instance, normative quartz
classifies a rock as silica-oversaturated; an example is rhyolite. A normative feldspathoid
classifies a rock as silica-undersaturated; an example is nephelinite.

2.8 CONCLUSION

From our observation of the igneous rock in the laboratory, it is also having
significance in construction industry. The geologist and the engineers working on projects
have to determine the origin of the igneous rock and the mineralogy of the rocks.

A rock which originated as molten magma from beneath the earths surface and
subsequently came to the surface as an extrusion, or remained below ground as an
intrusion. The nature of the rock depends in part on the rate at which it cooled; as intrusions
of magma slowly solidify, enough time elapses for large crystals to form whereas extrusions
cool quickly, leaving little time for crystal growth. Thus, a coarse-grained, intrusive igneous
rock has a fine-grained, extrusive counterpart; granite is coarse rhyolite and gabbro is
coarse basalt. Igneous rocks are also classified as acid or basic, according to whether their
silica content is high (e.g. granite), or low (e.g. basalt).

Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
Igneous rock may form with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive (
plutonic ) rocks or on the surface as extrusive ( volcanic ) rocks. This magma can be
melting is caused by one or more three processes : an increase in temperature, a
described, most of them having formed beneath the surface of Earths crust. These have
diverse properties, depending on their composition and how they were formed.
 TABLE 1.2.1 IDENTIFICATION OF IGNEOUS ROCK

MINERAL CHEMICAL
ROCK NAME TEXTURE COLOUR ORIGIN SKETCH
COMPOSITION COMPOSITION

Hornblande,
Plutonic
Obsidian Aphanitic, even or Light < 25% Biotite, Asid > 65%
porphyritic mineral dark Most Covite,
Orthoclase,
Quarts

Hornblande,
Plutonic
Rhyolite Aphanitic, even or Light < 25% Biotite, Asid > 65%
porphyritic mineral dark Most Covite,
Orthoclase,
Quarts

Hornblande,
Volcanic
Biotite Granite Medium to coarse Light < 25% Biotite, Asid > 65%
phaneric mineral dark Most Covite,
Orthoclase,
Quarts
 Hornblande,
Volcanic
Hornblende Medium to coarse 25% - 50% dark Orthoclase, Intermediate 55% -
Syenite phaneric mineral Plagioclase 65%
Biotite,
Magnatic & Ilmenite

Hornblande,
Volcanic
Basalt Aphanitic, even or Park minerals Augite, Basic 45% - 55%
porphyritic precominant Plagioclase,
Olivine,
Magnatic & Ilmenite

Hornblande,
Plutonic
Gabbro Medium to coarse Park minerals Augite, Basic 45% - 55%
phaneric precominant Plagioclase,
Olivine,
Magnatic & Ilmenite
IGNEOUS CLASSIFICATION CHART
3.0 TOPIC : IDENTIFICATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCK (LAB 1C)

3.1 OBJECTIVE
To recognize, identified and observed distinguishing features of sedimentary rock specimen
in the laboratory.

3.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES

a) Students should able to recognize types of sedimentary rock formation in Malaysia and
Worldwide.
b) Students should able to evaluate the physical properties of sedimentary rocks for civil
engineering application.
c) Students should able to understand sedimentary rock forming on the earth.

3.3 THEORY
(a) Criteria for distinguishing sedimentary rock
In describing any rock, one should proceed from the general to the particular, nothing
firstly its colour, behaviour on weathering and any other striking features and then
deciding whether it is sedimentary or other types of rock. The outstanding
characteristics of the sedimentary rocks is given below, but must be emphasized that
one characteristic by itself proof positive that the rock belongs to a certain class.

Rock Type Characteristic

Stratification and sorting of grains into layers according to
their size.
Fragmental texture.
Sedimentary Grains often rounded.
Structures such as bedding, ripple marks and mud cracks.
Presence of fossils.
Presence of minerals of chemical or organic origin, such
as halite, gypsum, chert carbonates.
Absence of easily weathered minerals such as biotite and
augite.

(b) Description

Physical
Colour
characteristics
Structure Massive, bedded or cross bedded
Note whether grain is uniform or uneven.
Grain To be uneven, there must be marked
and contras between larger and smaller grains.
constituents If the rock is uniform, it is usually fine in
grain and does not show definite fragments,
but may contain fossils.

3.4 EQUIMENT AND MATERIALS

a) Sedimentary rock from reference set
b) Sedimentary classification chart
3.5 PROCEDURE
Students should learn to familiarize and observe the samples by referring the sedimentary
classification charts and tabulate the results from the observation in the Table 1.2.2
attached.

3.6 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

a) Rock name
b) Texture
c) Mode of origin
d) Composition of clastic rock
e) Composition of crystalline rock
f) Sketch / others

3.8 QUESTION AND DISCUSSION

1. List the characteristics that distinguish sedimentary rocks from igneous and metamorphic
rocks.

Sedimentary rocks from by accumulation of sediment grains or by biologic or

chemical precipitation from liquid water. Igneous rocks from by crystallization of a
magma. No magma needs to be present for metamorphic crystallization.

2. Explain all the genesis of sedimentary rocks.

Sedimentary rocks form at the Earths surface through interactions of the hydrologic
system and the crust. Fortunately, many of these processes are in operation today, and
geologists actively study rivers, deltas and oceans of all parts of the Earth. This research
indicates that the genesis of sedimentary rocks involves four major processes:

i. Weathering is the interaction between the elements in the atmosphere and the rocks
exposed at the Earths surface. This process can take place chemically or physically.

ii. Transportation is done mostly by running water. However, glaciers and wind can also
transport sediment, although their activity is somewhat restricted to special climate
zones. Sorting that occurs during transportation is an important factor in the genesis of
sedimentary rocks. This sorting is according to both size and composition, and the
entire sorting process is referred to as sedimentary differentiation.

iii. Deposition occurs in a specific sedimentary environment. This environment reflects the
physical, chemical and biological conditions that exist at the place of deposition.
Distinctive types of texture, composition, internal structure, and fossil assemblages are
developed in each environment. The environments include continental, marine and
shoreline.

iv. Compaction and Cementation transforms the loose, unconsolidated sediment into solid
rock. The weight of continually accumulating material helps compress and compact the
buried sediment into rock. Cementation occurs as mineral matter, carried by water
seeping through the pore spaces of tight grains, is precipitated. Cements are
commonly made of quartz, calcite or limonite.
3.9 CONCLUSION

Based on our experiment for the sedimentary rocks, we found that well-cemented
sedimentary rocks generally adequate for most type of building foundations. Special
problems occur in lime stones and evaporate deposits because these rocks are soluble
under the action of following groundwater. The soils and rocks overlying underground
cavities produced by chemical dissolution may collapse into voids, damaging or destroying
building constructed at the surface.

The most unfavorable situation occurs were bedding dips in down slope direction of
a slope or excavation. Bedding planes are zones of weakness sedimentary rock masses
and failure may occur. Tunneling and underground mining in sedimentary rocks are
influenced by lithology and structure (orientation of bedding).

In slope construction, stable vertical slopes can usually be excavated in well-

cemented, horizontally bedded sandstone and limestone. Flatter slope angles must be cut
for weaker rock types. A particularly important factor in the stability of sedimentary rock
slopes is the direction and amount of slope or dip of bedding.

From our research, we found the certain of their significance in construction industry
such as conglomerate is a sedimentary rock with a variable hardness consisted of round or
angular or mineral fragment cemented by silica, lime, iron oxide and etc. usually found in
mostly thick, crudely stratified layers. Used in the construction industry. For the third sample
is argillaceous shale which it is well stratified in thin beds.

It splits unevenly more or less parallel to bedding plane and may contain fossils. It
can be a component of bricks and cement. For our forth sample is limestone where it is
used mainly in the manufacture of Portland cement, the production of lime, manufacture of
paper, fiberglass, glass and as the coating on many types of chewing gum.
 TABLE 1.2.2 IDENTIFICATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCK
COMPOSITION
ROCK NAME TEXTURE MODE OF ORIGIN CLASSIFICATION SKETCH
OF ROCK

SHELL LIMESTONE Medium Grained Mechanical or Shell

1 / 16 2mm Bioclastic Clayey, silty, sandy, Clastic Rock
Calcareous,
carbonaceous,
Calcareous phospatic

DOLOMITIC ( 1 / 256 1 / 16 mm ) Shell

LIMESTONE Fine Grained Mechanical or Clayey, silty, sandy, Clastic Rock
< 1 / 256 mm Bioclastic Calcareous,
carbonaceous and
phospatic

ARGILLACEOUS ( 1 / 256 1 / 16 mm )
SHALE Fine Grained Mechanical or Quartz and feldspar Clastic Rock
< 1 / 256 mm Bioclastic Clayey, silty, sandy,
Ferruginous
Not common

BITUMINOUS Coarse Grained Mechanical or Altered Clastic Rock

COAL ( > 2mm ) Bioclastic plant material
 COMPOSITION
ROCK NAME TEXTURE MODE OF ORIGIN CLASSIFICATION SKETCH
OF ROCK

CHERT Coarse ( > 2mm )

Medium ( 1/16 to 2mm ) Hidrogenic, Siliceous Crystalline Rock
Fine ( < 1/16mm ) biochemical or
chemically altered

CONGLOMERATED Coarse Grained

( Breccia if angular ) ( > 2mm ) Mechanical or Quartz and feldspar Clastic Rock
Bioclastic Clayey, silty, sandy,
Ferruginous
Not common

RED SANDSTONE Medium Grained Mechanical or Quartz

1 / 16 2mm Bioclastic Clayey, silty, sandy, Clastic Rock
Ferruginous
Siliceous, ferruginous
calcareous

Medium Grained Mechanical or Quartz

ARGILLACEOUS 1 / 16 2mm Bioclastic Clayey, silty, sandy, Clastic Rock
SANDSTONE Ferruginous
Siliceous, ferruginous
calcareous
SEDIMENTARY CLASSIFICATION CHART
4.0 TOPIC : IDENTIFICATION OF METAMORPHIC (LAB 1D)

4.1 OBJECTIVE
To recognize, identified and observed distinguishing features of metamorphic rock
specimen in the laboratory.

4.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES

a) Students should able to recognize types of metamorphic rock formation in Malaysia
and Worldwide.
b) Students should able to evaluate the physical properties of metamorphic rocks for civil
engineering application.
c) Students should able to understand metamorphic rock forming on the earth.

4.3 THEORY
(a) Criteria for distinguishing sedimentary rock
In describing any rock, one should proceed from the general to the particular, nothing
firstly its colour, behaviour on weathering and any other striking features and then
deciding whether it is metamorphic or other types of rock. The outstanding
characteristics of the metamorphic rocks is given below, but must be emphasized that
one characteristic by itself proof positive that the rock belongs to a certain class.

Rock Type Characteristic

Parallel orientation of mineral crystals.
Interlocking crystal.
Metamorphic
Secondary cleavage independent bedding.
Foliation, schistosity and slaty texture.
(b) Description
Physical
Colour
characteristics
Decide whether the rock is best described as uniform fine grained,
medium fine grained or coarse grained.
Structure
The coarser grained granular rocks results from high-grade
and Grain
metamorphism in which great pressure from many directions, not from
one direction only, has been the dominant factor.

4.4 EQUIMENT AND MATERIALS

a) Metamorphic rock from reference set
b) Metamorphic classification chart

4.5 PROCEDURE
Students should learn to familiarize and observe the samples by referring the metamorphic
classification charts and tabulate the results from the observation in the Table 1.2.3
attached.

4.6 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

a) Rock name
b) Structure
c) Grain
d) Mineral composition
e) Parent Rock
f) Metamorphism type
g) Sketch / Others
4.7 QUESTION AND DISCUSSION
1. What is foliation?

Foliation is any penetrative planar fabric present in rocks. Foliation is common to

rocks affected by regional metamorphic compression typical of orogenic belts. Rocks
exhibiting foliation include the typical sequence formed by the prograde metamorphism of
mudrocks; slate, phyllite, schist and gneiss. The slatey cleavage typical of slate is due to
the preferred orientation of microscopic phyllosilicate crystals. In gneiss the foliation is more
typically represented by compositional banding due to segregation of mineral phases.
Foliated rock is also known as S-tectonite in sheared rock masses.

2. Distinguish between slaty cleavage, phyllitic, schistosity and gneissic texture.

i. Slaty Cleavage - This texture is caused by the parallel orientation of microscopic

grains. The name for the rock with this texture is slate, and the rock is characterized
by a tendency to separate along parallel planes. This feature is a property known as
slaty cleavage.

ii. Phyllitic Texture - This texture is formed by the parallel arrangement of platy minerals,
usually micas that are barely macroscopic. The parallelism is often silky, or
crenulated. The predominance of micaceous minerals imparts a sheen to the hand
specimens. A rock with a phyllitic texture is called a phyllite.

iii. Schistose Texture - This is a foliated texture resulting from the suhparallel to parallel
orientation of platy minerals such as chlorite or micas. Other common minerals
present are quartz and amphiholes. A schistose texture lies between the parallel platy
appearance of phyllite and the distinct banding of gneissic texture. The average grain
size of the minerals is generally smaller than in a gneiss. A rock with schistose texture
is called a schist.

iv. Gneissic Texture - This is a coarsely foliated texture in which the minerals have been
segregated into discontinuous hands, each of which is dominated by one or two
minerals. These bands range in thickness from 1 mm to several centimeters. The
individual mineral grains are macroscopic and impart a striped appearance to a hand
specimen. Light-colored bands commonly contain quartz and feldspar. and the dark
hands are commonly composed of hornblende and hiotite. Accessory minerals are
common and are useful in applying specific names to these rocks. A rock with a
gneissic texture is called a gneiss.

4.8 CONCLUSION

Metamorphic rocks form from heat and pressure. Some of the minerals that make
up those rocks also change properties as heat and pressure is applied. Polymorphs of
minerals at different phases result and thus some minerals are only found in metamorphic
rocks. From our observation of the metamorphic rock, it can be divided into two types of
foliation. There are foliated and non-foliated metamorphic rocks. None foliated metamorphic
rock posses similar engineering properties to igneous rocks. In an unaltered and
unfractured condition, they can be considered to be strong materials, with few limitations for
foundations, tunnels and dams.

In a way similar to the igneous and sedimentary rocks, the behavior of metamorphic
rock mass depends upon the degree and orientation of fractures the weathering
characteristics. There properties must be curtained prior to construction of each individual
engineering project. In construction industry, the significance of metamorphic rock such as
some schists has graphite and some are use as building stones. Besides that, gneiss is
due to physical and chemical similarity between many gneisses and plutonic igneous rocks
some are used as building stones and other structural purposes.
 TABLE 1.2.4 IDENTIFICATION OF METAMORPHIC ROCK
MINERAL METAMORPHISM
ROCK NAME STRUCTURE GRAIN PARENT ROCK SKETCH
COMPOSITION TYPE

Quartz, Granite,
Gneiss Gneissic Medium to Feldspar, Arkose, Regional
coarse Minor, Conglomerate.
Ferromagnesians

Micas,
Mica Schist Schistose Medium to Quartz, Shale, Increasing
coarse Feldspar, Mudstone or tuff Regional

Quartzite Granulose Medium to Quartz greatly Quartz, Regional

coarse predominant Sandstone

Clay mineral, Shale, Dynamic

Slade Cleared Very fine Detrital micas, Mudstone tuff
Chlorite

White Marble Granulose Medium to Calcite of dolomite Limestone Contract of

course greatly dominant regional
METAMORPHIC CLASSIFICATION CHART