Igneous rocks are formed when magma cools, either on Earth’s surface or beneath it,

though some may form by fragmentation of solidifying magma. Typical occurrences of

igneous rock bodies on the surface include lava flows, lava domes, necks and spines,

and pyroclastic deposits. Plutonic bodies with different dimensions and geometry form

by cooling of magma beneath the earth surface, and are exposed at the surface by post-

emplacement geological processes and erosion.

The term “texture” is used in the conventional geological meaning for features such as

grain shape and size, and spatial relationships between mineral grains in a rock. The

subject is discussed in terms of recent research on the nature of crystallization.

The recommendations of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)

subcommission for igneous rock terminology and classification are illustrated. For the

sake of completeness, and in order to provide a general picture of the whole spectrum of

igneous rocks, also included are a number of types that are either rare or difficult to
identify without the use of advanced techniqu

Igneous rocks thus occur in two ways, either as “extrusive” (on the surface) rocks or as

“intrusive” (below the surface) bodies. Intrusive rocks are also called “plutonic” (Pluto,

the Greek god of infernal regions, therefore deep-seated) and extrusive rocks

“volcanic.” The terms intrusive and extrusive only refer to the place where the rock

solidified. Extrusive rocks cool rapidly because they have erupted at the Earth’s surface,

but intrusive rocks cool more slowly within an insulating blanket of surrounding rocks

into which they have been emplaced. The rapid cooling of magma gives a fine-grained

rock, which may even be glassy, whereas slower cooling gives coarse-grained rock with

large crystals.
Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ignis meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main
rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling
and solidification of magma or lava. The magma can be derived from partial melts of existing rocks in
either a planet's mantle or crust. Typically, the melting is caused by one or more of three processes: an
increase in temperature, a decrease in pressure, or a change in composition. Solidification into rock
occurs either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks. Igneous rock may
form with crystallization to form granular, crystalline rocks, or without crystallization to form natural
glasses. Igneous rocks occur in a wide range of geological settings: shields, platforms, orogens, basins,
large igneous provinces, extended crust and oceanic crust

Introduction

As described in some of the previous topics, igneous rocks are produced by the crystallization and
solidification of molten magma. Magma forms when rock is heated to high temperatures (between 625
and 1200° Celsius) beneath the Earth's surface. The exact temperature needed to melt rock is controlled
by several factors. Chemistry of the rock material, pressure, presence of gases (like water vapor) all
influence when melting occurs. Most of the heat required to melt rock into magma comes from the
Earth's central internal region known as the core. Scientists estimate that the temperature of the Earth's
core is about 5000° Celsius. Heat moves from the Earth's core towards the solid outer crust by
convection and conduction. Convection moves hot plumes of magma vertically from the lower mantle to
the upper mantle. Some of these plumes melt through the Earth's solid lithosphere and can produce
intrusive igneous features and extrusive igneous features on the surface. Heat can also be generated in
the lower lithosphere through friction. The tectonic movement of subducted crustal plates can generate
enough heat (and pressure) to melt rock. This fact explains the presence of volcanoes along the margin
of some continental plates.

What are Igneous Rocks?

Igneous rocks are formed from the solidification of molten rock material. There are two basic types.

Intrusive igneous rocks crystallize below Earth's surface, and the slow cooling that occurs there allows
large crystals to form. Examples of intrusive igneous rocks are diorite, gabbro, granite, pegmatite, and
peridotite.
Extrusive igneous rocks erupt onto the surface, where they cool quickly to form small crystals. Some cool
so quickly that they form an amorphous glass. These rocks include andesite, basalt, dacite, obsidian,
pumice, rhyolite, scoria, and tuff.