Is Granite An Extrusive Igneous Rock

Igneous rocks are those that form via the process of melting and cooling.

Is granite an extrusive igneous rock.

Igneous rocks can have many different compositions depending on the magma they cool from. 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. If they erupt from volcanoes onto the surface as lava they are called extrusive rocks by contrast intrusive rocks are formed from magma that cools underground. This results in rocks with a very fine grained or even.

Granite is quarried in many places in the world including the united states. The state of new hampshire has the nickname granite state because of the amount of granite in the mountains of that beautiful state. Extrusive igneous rocks erupt onto the surface where they cool quickly to form small crystals. Extrusive or volcanic igneous rock is produced when magma exits and cools as lava at or near the earth s surface.

The canadian shield of north america contains huge outcroppings surface rocks of granite. Granite the equivalent of its extrusive volcanic rock type rhyolite is a very common type of intrusive igneous rock. 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 diabase diorite gabbro granite pegmatite and peridotite.

Exposed to the relatively cool temperatures of the atmosphere the lava cools quickly meaning that mineral crystals don t have much time to grow. It contains more than 68 weight of silica in composition and is granular and coarse grained in texture. If the intrusive rock cooled underground but near the surface it is called subvolcanic or hypabyssal and often has visible but tiny mineral grains. Igneous rocks form when magma molten rock cools and crystallizes either at volcanoes on the surface of the earth or while the melted rock is still inside the crust.