PETROLOGY

WHAT IS PETROLOGY?
 Petrology is the branch of geology that studies the origin, composition, distribution and structure
of rocks.
 It came from the Greek word "Petra" which means Rock and "Logos" means study.
 Petrology utilizes the fields of mineralogy, petrography, optical mineralogy, and chemical
analysis to describe the composition and texture of rocks.
A rock is an aggregation of different mineral constituents which form the earth’s crust. It is categorized
by the minerals included, its chemical composition and the way in which it is formed.

Classification of Rocks
- Rocks are classified based on three major factors as follows:
1. Geological Classification
2. Physical Classification
3. Chemical Classification

1. GEOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
Rocks are classified into three types based on their geological formation and they are:

o Igneous Rocks - are formed by the solidification of magma

below the earth’s surface. When the magma is unable to erupt
through the earth surface during its upward journey, it is held
up below the earth’s surface and unable to descend. This
magma cools down gradually and solidifies into igneous
rocks. The structure of igneous rocks varies according to the
depth at which magma solidified. If the magma hardens at a
significant depth from the earth surface, then the rocks possess
coarsely grained crystalline structure and these rocks are known as plutonic rocks. Granite is the
best example of plutonic rock.
o Sedimentary Rocks - are formed by the deposition of sediments obtained by the weathering of
pre-existing rocks and these sediments are transported by
various agents such as water, wind, frost, gravity, etc. These
transported sediments form layered structures and give rise to
the sedimentary deposits. If the sediments remain at the place
of origin then the formed deposits are known as residual
deposits. Some sediments formed by various chemical
reactions such as decomposition, precipitation, evaporation,
etc. give rise to the formation of chemical deposits. Similarly,
the sediments formed by the action of various organisms such
as plants and animals are known as Organic deposits.
o Metamorphic Rocks - are formed by the metamorphism
process. Metamorphism is the process of changing the
characteristics of the pre-existing rocks under the influence
of heat and pressure. The pre-existing rocks may be of the
sedimentary or igneous type of rocks.

2. PHYSICAL CLASSIFICATION
 Rocks are classified physically into three types as follows:

o Stratified Rocks - consist of different layers in its structure and these layers are separated by
planes of stratification. These planes are also called cleavage
planes or bedding planes. These rocks can easily split up along
these bedding planes. Most of the sedimentary rocks such
as sandstone, limestone, shale, etc. are the best examples of
stratified rocks.
o Unstratified Rocks - The structure of unstratified
rocks is crystalline or compact granular. They possess a similar
kind of structure throughout
their whole body. Most of
the igneous rocks and some sedimentary rocks come under
unstratified rocks.  Granite, marble, trap are few examples
of unstratified rocks.
o Foliated Rocks - possess a layered or banded structure
which is obtained by exposure of pressure and heat. Unlike
the stratified rocks, these rocks
can split up in a certain direction only. Most of the metamorphic
rocks formed by metamorphism come under foliated rocks. Some
examples are gneiss, schist, slate etc.

3. CHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION
Rocks are classified into three types based on their chemical composition and they are as
follows:
o Argillaceous Rocks - The word Argil means clay. Hence, the rocks in which clay content is
predominant are called argillaceous rocks. These rocks are soft
in nature and with the presence of water they can be crumbled
easily. In the dry state, these rocks can be crushed easily
because of their brittleness. Shale, slate, laterite, etc. are
some of the argillaceous rocks.

o Calcareous Rocks
- The rocks in
which calcium
carbonate is the major ingredient are known as
calcareous rocks. These are generally hard but their
durability is dependent on surrounding constituents
which may react with calcium and affect the durability
of rock. Marble, limestone, dolomite, etc. are some
of the calcium predominant rocks.

o Siliceous Rocks - The rocks which contain silica in

predominant amount are called as siliceous rocks. Presence of
a large amount of free silica makes them harder and durable.
It also provides strong resistance to weathering. Granite,
chert, quartzite, etc. are examples of siliceous rocks.
 Distinction between Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks Sedimentary Rocks Metamorphic Rocks

Formed from sedimentation of dust,

Formed from cooled, Formed by intense heat and
dirt, and other matter on lake beds
solidified molten rock. pressure beneath the earth.
and sea floors.

Source of mineral
Used in construction work (roads,
deposits (e.g. tin, Used in geological research.
tunnels, bridges).
uranium).

Description, Occurrence, Properties, and Distribution of the following Rocks

IGNEOUS ROCKS OCCURRENCE/ COMPOSITION USAGE

DESCRIPTION

Granites find
They occur chiefly as — plutonic light extensive use in
deep-seated intrusive coloured igneous architectural and
bodies like sills, rocks. massive construction
bosses, stocks and — composed mainly where they are found
batholiths. of quartz and feldspar in abundance. These
with minor amounts rocks have been used
of mica, amphiboles, extensively in
— the most common and other minerals. monuments and
igneous rocks. memorials, as
columns and steps
GRANITE and as flooring in
buildings.

Syenites are formed The most common — can be used as

during alkaline feldspars of syenites aggregate in the
igneous activity, are orthoclase and building and
generally formed in albite; microcline, roading industries.
thick continental oligoclase and
crustal areas, or in anorthite are also
Cordilleran present in them in
subduction zones. subordinate amounts.

— are defined as
igneous, plutonic,
SYENITE even-grained rocks in
which alkali feldspars
(including orthoclase
and albite) are the
chief constituent
minerals.
 Diorites commonly Diorites are typically It is used as a drainage
occur as small rich in feldspar stone and for erosion
intrusive bodies like plagioclase of sodic control.
dikes, sills, stocks group (e.g. Albite).
and other irregular These are used as
intrusive masses. Quartz is not construction stone, or
common but may be polished and used as
— It is an present in some architectural stone.
intermediate type of varieties that are then
igneous rock of specially named as
plutonic origin with quartz-diorites.
DIORITE silica percentage
generally lying
between 52-66 per
cent.

It generally occurs It is usually black or Gabbro has a variety

as batholiths and dark green in color of uses in the
laccoliths and is and composed mainly construction industry.
often found along of the minerals It is used for
mid-ocean ridges or plagioclase and everything from
in ancient augite. crushed stone base
mountains materials at
composed of The most important construction sites to
compressed and minerals in the polished stone counter
uplifted oceanic gabbro are tops and floor tiles.
crust. plagioclase and
pyroxene. Plagioclase
GABBRO — is a coarse- often appear more.
grained, dark-
colored,
intrusive igneous
rock.

PEGMATITE Pegmatites occur in Simple pegmatites ar These are used to

a variety of forms as e composed of large make components for
dykes, veins, lenses crystals of ordinary electronic devices,
and patches of minerals. retardation plates,
irregular masses. circuit boards, optical
filters, detector
— Pegmatite is a windows, and many
very coarse-grained other products.
igneous rock. 

Dolerite is typically Dolerites are It is used mainly as

 DOLERITE found as a predominantly made crushed aggregate in
hypabyssal igneous up of calcic concrete production,
rock, typically plagioclase (e.g. as road sub-base and
within dykes, anorthite and in flush seals, facing
however, it may labradorite). stone in building
also occur in sills. construction, and as
Dark minerals like armour stone and rip-
A dolerite is the augite, olivine and rap.
medium-grained iron oxide etc. are
equivalent of a also present in good
basalt - a basic rock proportion in
dominated by dolerites along with
plagioclase and the plagioclase
pyroxene. minerals.

Basaltic rocks form Basalts are It is most commonly

extensive lava flows commonly made up crushed for use as an
on the continents of calcic plagioclase aggregate
and also on the feldspars (anorthite in construction projec
oceanic floors in and labradorite) and a ts.
almost all the number of ferro-
regions of the magnesian minerals Crushed basalt is used
world. like augite, for road base, concrete
hornblende, aggregate, asphalt
— are volcanic hypersthene, olivine, pavement aggregate,
igneous rocks formed biotite and iron railroad ballast, filter
by rapid cooling from oxides etc. stone in drain fields,
BASALT lava flows from and may other
volcanoes either over purposes.
the surface or under
water on oceanic
floors.

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS OCCURRENCE / COMPOSITIO USAGE

DESCRIPTION N

Sandstone is one of These are mostly It has been widely

the most common composed of sand used around the
types of sedimentary grade particles that world in constructing
rock and is found in have been temples, homes, and
sedimentary basins compacted and other buildings.
throughout the world. consolidated
together in the
form of beds in It has also been used
SANDSTONE basins of for artistic purposes
sedimentation.

Quartz (Si02) is to create ornamental

 the most common fountains and statues.
mineral making
the sandstones. In
fact some varieties
of sandstone are
made up entirely
of quartz.

It most commonly Pure limestone is  It is used as a

forms in clear, warm, invariably made up crushed stone for
shallow marine of mineral calcite road base and
waters. (CaC03). railroad ballast.

These are the most Other oxides that It is used as an

common sedimentary may be present in aggregate in concrete.
rocks from the non- limestone are:
clastic-group and are silicon dioxide, It is fired in a kiln
composed chiefly of ferrous and ferric with crushed shale to
carbonate of calcium oxides (or make cement.
with subordinate carbonates); and
LIMESTONE proportions of aluminum oxide.
carbonate of Strontium oxide is
magnesium. also present in
some limestone’s
as a trace element.

Shale forms via Shales are very  Shale used to make

compaction, typically intimate mixtures pottery and building
from particles in slow of quartz, clay materials requires
or quiet water, such minerals and little processing
as river deltas, lakes, accessory minerals besides crushing and
swamps, or the ocean like oxides of iron, mixing with water. 
floor. carbonates, and
— is a fine-grained organic. Shale is crushed and
SHALE sedimentary rock of heated with limestone
argillaceous (clayey) to make cement for
composition. the construction
industry.
 Conglomerate rock They consist When the matrix is
forms when gravel or mostly of rounded soft, conglomerate m
even boulders are fragments of ay be crushed
transported far various sizes but for use as a fill
enough from their generally above material in the
original source to 2mm. cemented construction and
become rounded, or together in clayey transportation
are subjected to wave or ferruginous or industries.
action. mixed matrix.
Hard conglomerate m
— These are ay be cut and
CONGLOMERATE sedimentary rocks of polished to make
clastic nature and dimension stone for
also belong to interesting-looking
rudaceous group. walls and floors.

Breccia forms where It consists of They have been used

broken, angular angular fragments by people for
fragments of rock or of heterogeneous centuries for many
mineral debris composition ornamental uses and
accumulate. embedded in a fine some breccias are
matrix of clayey even considered to be
— It is a material. semi-precious and
mechanically formed have found uses in
sedimentary rock jewelry.
BRECCIA classed as Rudite.

METAMORPHIC ROCK OCCURRENCE / COMPOSITION USAGE

DESCRIPTION

Besides quartz, the

 It forms when a rock generally It finds extensive use
quartz-rich sandstone  contains in building and road
is altered by the heat, subordinate construction.
pressure, and amounts of micas,
chemical activity of feldspars, garnets Quartzite is an
metamorphism. and some extremely
amphiboles which durable crushed
Quartzite is a result from the stone that is suitable
nonfoliated metamor recrystallisation of for use in the most
QUARTZITE phic rock composed some impurities of demanding
 almost entirely the original applications.
of quartz. sandstone during
the process of
metamorphism.

Marble is a Small amounts of Marble is

metamorphic rock many other granular commonly used in
formed when limestone minerals like olivine, the construction of
is exposed to high serpentine, garnet palatial and
temperatures and and some monumental
pressures.  amphiboles are also buildings in the
Marble forms under present in many form of blocks,
such conditions varieties, which are slabs, arches and in
because the calcite derived from the the crushed form as
forming the limestone impurities present in chips for flooring.
recrystallises forming a the original
denser rock consisting limestone during the Because of its
MARBLE of roughly equigranular process of restricted
calcite crystals. metamorphic occurrence and
recrystallization. transport costs, it is
— Marble is essentially mostly used as
a granular metamorphic ornamental stone in
rock composed chiefly costly construction.
of recrystallised
limestone (made of
mineral calcite).

Mineralogically,
— Slate is an slate is made up of Slate is used locally
extremely fine-grained very fine flakes of (where available)
metamorphic rock mica, chlorite and for construction
characterized by a slate microscopic grains purpose as a
cleavage by virtue of of quartz, felspar, roofing and paving
which it can be readily oxides of iron and material only.
split into thin sheets many other minerals,
having parallel smooth all of which cannot
SLATE surfaces. be easily identified
even under
Rocks that occur in thin microscope because
beds. of their fine grain
size.

Gneisses are
Gneiss usually forms generally rich in the Compact, dense
by regional minerals of parent and massive
metamorphism at rocks that are simply varieties of
convergent plate recrystallised during gneisses find
boundaries. the process of applications as road
metamorphism. stones and in some
— is a megascopically cases as building.
GNEISS crystalline foliated Feldspar and quartz
metamophorphic rock are more common in
characterised by gneisses than in
segregation of schists.
constituent minerals
into layers or bands of
contrasting colour,
texture and
composition.

 It usually occurs the Platy and rod-like It has been

regional metamorphism acicular minerals previously used to
of existing rock. form the bulk of make decorative
most of the schists. rock walls.
— are megascopically
crystalline foliated Quartz and feldspars Presently, it is used
metamorphic rocks are comparatively as a decorative
characterised by a rare but not stone as well as for
typical schistose altogether absent. jewelry.
structure.
SCHIST
 APPENDIX A

Planetary Sciences, Inc. (n.d.). Petrology. Retrieved from: https://planetary-science.org/

Anupoju, S. (2016). Classification of Rocks with Example. Retrieved from https://theconstructor.org/
Elaiyarasu, S. (2015-2016). Engineering Geology. Retrieved from http://www.sasurieengg.com/
Difference between Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary Rocks. (2017, Dec. 18). Retrieved from
https://difference.guru/

Geology rocks & minerals. (2005). Retrieved from https://flexiblelearning.auckland.ac.nz/

King, H.B. (n.d.). What Is Gabbro, What Minerals Are In Gabbro, and What Is It Used For?. Retrieved
from https://geology.com/

Blatt, Harvey, and Robert J. Tracy. 1995. Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic, 2nd
ed. New York: W. H. Freeman. ISBN 0716724383

Pellant, Chris. 2002. Rocks and Minerals. Smithsonian Handbooks. New York: Dorling
Kindersley. ISBN 0789491060

Shaffer, Paul R., Herbert S. Zim, and Raymond Perlman. 2001. Rocks, Gems and Minerals. Revised
ed. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 1582381321

Helmenstine, A.M. (2018, June 15). Conglomerate Rock: Geology, Composition, Uses. Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/
King, H.B. (n.d.). What Is Breccia, How Does It Form, and What Is Its Composition?. Retrieved from
https://geology.com/