Rocks and Rock Identification

1.  Vocabulary review.  You should be familiar with the three categories of rock which make up the solid earth.  These are igneous rocks formed by the cooling of magma, sedimentary rocks formed from by deposition of sediment at the earth's surface and its subsequent burial and lithification, and metamorphic rocks formed by the recrystallization of pre-existing rock.

For each of the terms below determine whether it describes a texture, or is the name of a specific type of rock.  Also determine whether the term applies to igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic rock.

Basalt

Pyroclastic

Foliated

Conglomerate

Granite

Aphanitic

Well-rounded

Poorly sorted

Schist

Tuff

Marble

Non-foliated

Arkose

Chert

Coal

Peridotite

Click here to check your answers to question 1

2.  Strategies for rock identification.  Looking at pictures is not the best way to learn to identify rocks, so don't use this exercise as a substitute for putting in lab time.  It may help you to organize your notes for study purposes to develop some basic strategies for identifying rocks.  For each image, determine whether the rock is igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic, and describe the texture.   If you can determine anything about the composition of the rock include that information also.  Don't worry about putting the specific name to the rock, but give it a shot if you think you know.  Click here to begin this part of the exercise.

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