Identification of Igneous Rocks Grain Size fine fine fine fine or mixed fine or mixed fine or mixed mixed

coarse coarse coarse coarse coarse coarse coarse coarse very coarse Usual Color dark light dark light medium dark any color light light light to medium medium to dark medium to dark dark dark green any color Other glassy appearance many small bubbles many large bubbles contains quartz between felsite and basalt has no quartz large grains in finegrained matrix wide range of color and grain size like granite but without quartz little or no alkali feldspar little or no quartz no quartz; may have olivine dense; always has olivine dense dense usually in small intrusive bodies Composition lava glass lava froth from sticky lava lava froth from fluid lava high-silica lava medium-silica lava low-silica lava large grains of feldspar, quartz, pyroxene or olivine feldspar and quartz with minor mica, amphibole or pyroxene feldspar with minor mica, amphibole or pyroxene plagioclase and quartz with dark minerals low-calcium plagioclase and dark minerals high-calcium plagioclase and dark minerals Rock Type Obsidian Pumice Scoria Felsite Andesite Basalt Porphyry Granite Syenite Tonalite Diorite Gabbro

olivine with amphibole and/or pyroxene Peridotite mostly pyroxene with olivine and amphibole at least 90% olivine typically granitic Pyroxenite Dunite Pegmatite

Identification of Sedimentary Rocks Hardness Grain Size hard hard hard or soft hard or soft hard or soft hard hard soft soft soft soft soft very soft very soft coarse coarse mixed mixed mixed fine fine fine fine fine coarse or fine coarse coarse coarse Composition clean quartz quartz and feldspar mixed sediment with rock grains and clay mixed rocks and sediment mixed rocks and sediment very fine sand; no clay chalcedony clay minerals carbon calcite dolomite fossil shells halite gypsum Other white to brown usually very coarse gray or dark and "dirty" round rocks in finer sediment matrix sharp pieces in finer sediment matrix feels gritty on teeth no fizzing with acid splits in layers black; burns with tarry smoke fizzes with acid no fizzing with acid unless powdered mostly pieces salt taste white, tan or pink Rock Type Sandstone Arkose Wacke/ Graywacke Conglomerate Breccia Siltstone Chert Shale Coal Limestone Dolomite rock Coquina Rock Salt Rock Gypsum

Identification of Metamorphic Rocks Foliation foliated foliated foliated foliated foliated foliated foliated foliated nonfoliated nonfoliated nonfoliated nonfoliated nonfoliated Grain Size fine fine fine coarse coarse coarse coarse coarse fine fine or coarse coarse coarse coarse Usual Color light dark dark mixed dark and light mixed dark and light mixed mixed dark greenish dark red and green light light Other very soft; greasy feel soft; "tink" when struck shiny; crinkly foliation crushed and stretched fabric; deformed large crystals wrinkled foliation; often has large crystals banded distorted "melted" layers mostly hornblende soft; shiny, mottled surface dull and opaque colors, found near intrusions dense; garnet and pyroxene soft; calcite or dolomite by the acid test quartz (no fizzing with acid) Rock Type Soapstone Slate Phyllite Mylonite Schist Gneiss Migmatite Amphibolite Serpentinite Hornfels Eclogite Marble Quartzite