If an igneous rock is formed from slowly cooling magma under the ground, it has more time to form crystals and so the crystals it forms are much larger than igneous rock formed from more quickly cooling magma or lava.
Igneous rocks will develop large crystals is they cool slowly underground.
Extrusive igneous rock consists of mineral crystals that are not observable with the naked eye. Obsidian is an extrusive igneous rock (volcanic glass) where there technically are no mineral crystals.
The size of the crystals in an igneous rock tells us how fast the magma cooled.
igneous rock
Magma cooling beneath the surface creates intrusive igneous rocks.
Igneous rocks will develop large crystals is they cool slowly underground.
Igneous rocks will develop large crystals is they cool slowly underground.
The crystals within don't have as much time to grow when igneous rock is cooled more quickly as in extrusive igneous formation.
When igneous rocks cool quickly, they have small crystals and have a texture that may be described as aphanitic. When igneous rocks cool slowly, they have much larger crystals and have a texture that may be described as phaneritic or pegmatitic.
Quick cooling of magma results in small crystal formation. Slow cooling magma results in larger crystals.
Extrusive igneous rock consists of mineral crystals that are not observable with the naked eye. Obsidian is an extrusive igneous rock (volcanic glass) where there technically are no mineral crystals.
Intrusive rock normally has visible crystals. Extrusive igneous rock has small crystals. A black extrusive igneous rock with small crystals could be basalt.
The basic processes involves in igneous rock formation are; 1. Melting (Magma, formation of molten substance). 2. Volcanicity (Eruption, movement of magma). 3. Cooling (Change in temperature). 4. Crystallization (Mineralization, formation of crystals and minerals). 5. Solidification (Consolidation into a solid mass to form igneous rock).
The size of the crystals in an igneous rock tells us how fast the magma cooled.
Tiny crystals in the igneous rock tells you it cooled quickley.
igneous is the texture of igneous rocks. The texture of igneous rocks is defined by 3 ways: a) Crystallinity- it expresses the degree of formation of crystals in an igneous rock. the texture of an igneous rock may be Holocyrstalline (Completely characterised by crystals, Hemicrystalline (partially having crystals) and holocrystalline (no crystals). b) Granularity- it is the size of the grains. it may be equigranular (when mineral grains are equal in size) or inequigranular (when mineral grains are not equal in size). c) shape of crystals- The shape of crystals may be Euhedral (When all crystals are of same shape), Subhedral (when they are partially similar in shape), Anhedral (when they are completely different in shape).
It depends on the type of igneous rock. Intrusive igneous rocks such as granite have large crystals, extrusive igneous rocks may have small crystals as in basalt or no crystals as in pumice.