REFLECTION

IN
SCIENCE

Regine V. Almazan 9-0

What is Gabbro?
Gabbro is a coarse-grained, dark-
colored, intrusive igneous rock. It
is usually black or dark green in
color and composed mainly of
the minerals plagioclase and
augite. It is the most abundant
rock in the deep oceanic crust.
Gabbro has a variety of uses in
the construction industry. It is
used for everything from crushed
stone base materials at construction sites to polished stone counter
tops and floor tiles.
What Minerals are in Gabbro?
Gabbro is composed mainly of calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar
(usually labradorite or bytownite) and clinopyroxene (augite). Minor
amounts of olivine and orthopyroxene might also be present in the
rock. (See composition chart on this page.)

This mineral composition usually gives gabbro a black to very dark

green color. A minor amount of light-colored mineral grains may also
be present. Unlike many other igneous rocks, gabbro usually contains
very little quartz. You can see a close-up view of gabbro toward the
bottom of this page.
Gabbro and Basalt are Related
Gabbros are equivalent in composition to basalts. The difference
between the two rock types is their grain size. Basalts are extrusive
igneous rocks that cool quickly and have fine-grained crystals.
Gabbros are intrusive igneous rocks that cool slowly and have coarse-
grained crystals.
Uses of Gabbro
Gabbro can be polished to a brilliant black
luster. Brightly polished gabbro is used to
make cemetery markers, kitchen counter
tops, floor tiles, facing stone, and other
dimension stone products. It is a highly
desirable rock that stands up to
weathering and wear.
Granodiorite
Granodiorite is an intrusive rock,
intermediate in composition between diorite and granite. Although
often similar in appearance to diorite or granite, it has a higher quartz
content than diorite, and a higher mafic mineral content than granite.
It is commonly produced in volcanic arcs, and in mountain building
where it emplaces as large batholiths in mountain roots. Granodiorite
is the plutonic equivalent of dacite.
Group - plutonic.
Colour - variable but typically light-coloured.
Texture - phaneritic (medium to coarse grained).
Mineral content - quartz, plagioclase, with lesser orthoclase, biotite
(these separate it from diorite) and amphibole ( hornblende)
(plagioclase always greater than 2/3 of total feldspar).
Silica (SiO 2) content - 63%-69%.
Uses - can be used as aggregate, fill etc. in the construction and
roading industries (often not ideal for concrete aggregate because of
high silica content); cut and polished for dimension stone for building
facings, foyers etc.
New Zealand occurrences - minor occurrences in Northland and the
Coromandel Peninsula, west Nelson area, Westland, Fiordland,
Stewart Island.
What is Obsidian?
Obsidian is an igneous rock that forms
when molten rock material cools so
rapidly that atoms are unable to
arrange themselves into a crystalline
structure. It is an amorphous material
known as a "mineraloid." The result is
a volcanic glass with a smooth
uniform texture that breaks with a
conchoidal fracture.
Black is the most common color of
obsidian. However, it can also be brown, tan, or green. Rarely,
obsidian can be blue, red, orange, or yellow. The colors are thought
to be caused mainly by trace elements or inclusions.

Occasionally two colors of obsidian will be swirled together in a single

specimen. The most common color combination is black and brown
obsidian swirled together - that's called "mahogany obsidian" (see
photo).
As a "glass," obsidian is chemically unstable. With the passage of
time, some obsidian begins to crystallize. This process does not
happen at a uniform rate throughout the rock. Instead it begins at
various locations within the rock. At these locations, the
crystallization process forms radial clusters of white or gray
cristobalite crystals within the obsidian. When cut and polished,
these specimens are referred to as "snowflake obsidian" (see
photos).

Rarely, obsidian has an iridescent or metallic "sheen" caused by light

reflecting from minute inclusions of mineral crystals, rock debris, or
gas. These colored specimens are known as "rainbow obsidian,"
"golden obsidian," or "silver obsidian," depending upon the color of
the sheen or iridescence. These specimens are very desirable for the
manufacture of jewelry.
Pegmatites are extreme igneous
rocks that form during the final
stage of a magma’s crystallization.
They are extreme because they
contain exceptionally large crystals
and they sometimes contain
minerals that are rarely found in
other types of rocks.

To be called a "pegmatite," a rock should be composed almost

entirely of crystals that are at least one centimeter in diameter. The
name "pegmatite" has nothing to do with the mineral composition of
the rock.
Most pegmatites have a composition that is similar to granite with
abundant quartz, feldspar, and mica. These are sometimes called
"granite pegmatites" to indicate their mineralogical composition.
However, compositions such as "gabbro pegmatite," "syenite
pegmatite," and any other plutonic rock name combined with
"pegmatite" are possible.

Pegmatites are sometimes sources of valuable minerals such as

spodumene (an ore of lithium) and beryl (an ore of beryllium) that
are rarely found in economic amounts in other types of rocks. They
also can be a source of gemstones. Some of the world’s best
tourmaline, aquamarine, and topaz deposits have been found in
pegmatites.