Adama Science and Technology University

School of Applied Natural Sciences

Applied Geology Program

IGNEOUS PETROLOGY
Geol2208

by. Tilahun T.

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 Chapter-1
INTRODUCTION TO THE EARTH AND
PETROLOGY

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*HOW DID THE SOLAR
SYSTEM FORMED?

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* WHEN AND HOW DID THE EARTH
FORMED AND EVOLVED TO
WHERE IT STANDS TODAY?

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 * WHAT ARE THE MAJOR ROCK TYPES ON THE
EARTH CRUST?

Igneous rock, Granite

Sedimentary rock, Sandstone

Metamorphic rock, Gneiss

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Internal structure of the Earth

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 I) The Compositional (Chemical)
Layers of the Earth
 The Earth is divided into three layers—the crust, the
mantle, and the core—based on the chemical compounds
that make up each layer.
1. The Crust:- the outermost layer of the Earth –
• 5 to 100 km thick
• the thinnest layer
• Made up of oxygen, silicon and aluminum (light
minerals), least dense
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There are two types of crust—continental and oceanic.
Oceanic crust is thinner and denser than continental crust
(made up of more iron, calcium and magnesium--heavier
minerals—than continents)

Continental crust

• Upper crust composed of granitic rocks

• Lower crust is more similar to basalt
• Average density is about 2.7 g/cm3
• Up to 4 billion years old 9
Oceanic Crust

Basaltic composition

Density about 3.0 g/cm3

Younger (180 million years or less) than the
continental crust

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2. Mantle

The Mantle is the layer of the Earth between the crust and
the core.
much thicker than the crust (2,900 km)
67% of the mass
more magnesium, less aluminum and silicon than crust
more dense than crust
Composition of the uppermost mantle is the igneous
rock peridotite (changes at greater depths)

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3. The Core
The central part of the Earth that lies below the mantle.

• Makes up 33% of Earth’s mass

• Radius 3,430 km
• Made mostly of iron and smaller amounts of nickel
(heavy minerals)
• most dense layer

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 II) The Physical Structure of the Earth

The Earth is divided into five physical layers:

1. The lithosphere
2. The asthenosphere
3. The mesosphere
4. The outer core
5. The inner core
Each layer has its own set of physical properties.

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Lithosphere
 The outermost, rigid layer of the Earth.
 Made of two parts—the crust and the rigid upper part
of the mantle.
 And it ranges in thickness from about 10 to 200 km
• Divided into pieces that are called tectonic plates.

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Asthenosphere
 Is a plastic layer of the mantle on which the tectonic
plates move.
 Upper mantle, ductile but solid
 To a depth of about 660 kilometers
 Made of solid rock that flows very slowly.
 Molten (melted) rock layer. About 175 km thick.
 It is not a liquid, and thus both S- and P-waves can
travel through it.
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Mesosphere (or lower mantle)

is the strong, lower part of the mantle between the

asthenosphere and the outer core.

 The prefix meso- means “middle.”

More rigid and stronger layer than Asthenosphere
Outer core

Liquid layer
2270 km thick (2900-5200 Km)
Convective flow of metallic iron within generates Earth’s
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magnetic field
The outer core is so hot around 3700ºC.
The metal is always molten.
Because the earth rotates, the outer core spins around the
inner core and that causes the earth's magnetism

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Inner Core
Sphere with a radius of 1216 km
Behaves like a solid

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The inner core - the centre of earth.
The inner core is: solid and thick
Very high temperatures around 4300ºC.
Very high pressure, it cannot melt.
Inner core remains solid because the rate of pressure is
more than the rate of temperature.

It off set the effect of temperature and affect the melting
point of the Fe and Ni alloys.

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 The mineral makeup of the Earth’s crust and
mantle
Crust:
Oceanic crust
Thin: 10 km Relatively
uniform stratigraphy
= ophiolite suite:
* Sediments
* pillow basalt
* sheeted dikes
* more massive
gabbro Continental Crust
* ultramafic (mantle) Thicker: 20-100 km average ~35 km
Highly variable composition
– Average
21 ~ granodiorite
 The Earth’s Interior
Mantle:
Peridotite (ultramafic)

Upper to 410 km (olivine ® spinel)

 Low Velocity Layer 60-220 km

Transition Zone 660 spinel

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 The origin of igneous rocks
What is the origin of igneous rock????
 When magma/lava cools enough to solidify completely
and form an igneous rock, such as the granite and basalt.
 These two rocks are the abundant igneous rocks at the
earth's surface.

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What Is Magma?
 Magma is a complex mixture of liquid, solid & gas.
 Magma is called Lava when it reaches on the earth's surface.

The Origin of Magmas

 Magma forms by partial melting of upper mantle and
lower crust
 Partial melting means that only a fraction of the
available material forms a melt, and that the remainder
stays solid.

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 How do partial melts form?
The reason why the mantle and crust can form partial melts
is because they are not homogeneous substances. Instead,
they consist of an assemblage of several substances
(minerals) with variable melting point
(temperature/pressure).

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 Generally magma is often generated by one of these major
processes:
(1) Lowering the pressure;
(2) Raising the temperature; or
(3) By changing the composition of the rock sometimes
called Addition of water .

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Characteristics of magma
 Magma consists of three components.
 A liquid portion, called melt, that is composed of mobile
ions and atoms of O, Si, Na, K, Fe e.t.c..
 Solids, if any, are silicate minerals that have already
crystallized from the melt
 Volatiles, which are gases dissolved in the melt, including
water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur

dioxide (SO2) etc… ,and these are driven off into the
atmosphere during cooling 27
 Magma/lava is a mixture of elements such as silica, iron,
sodium, potassium, etc.
 As the magma/lava cools these elements chemically
combine, or crystallize, in geometric patterns to form the
eight rock forming minerals.

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 Cooling is progressive in a magma/lava, some minerals
becoming solid at high temperatures and others at
lower temperature so that part way through the cooling
the magma/lava is a mixture of minerals and still
molten rock.
If cooling is "very quick" (hours to days) the elements and
compounds are frozen in place, no minerals form, and the
result is a glass.

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 The properties of a magma (viscosity, melting point) are
largely controlled by the SiO2 (viscosity) and the H2O
content (melting point).
 SiO2 is the most abundant component and ranges in
abundance from 35% in ultra mafic rocks to 75% in
felsic rocks.

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A wide variety of magma types exists, but there are
three important end members of magma
1)Basaltic magma/gabbro :
resulted from the partial melting of mantle rocks, which is
typically very hot (from 900° to1200°C) and highly fluid,
SiO2 45-55 wt%, high in Fe, Mg, Ca, low in K, Na

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2) Andesitic magma/dioritic :
this magma type is a result of the partial melting of sub-
ducted oceanic crust (Basalt), SiO2 55-65 wt%, intermediate
in Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K.
3) Rhyolitic magma/granitic magma :
partial melting of the lower continental crust, silicic magma,
which is cooler (less than 850°C) and highly viscous, SiO2
65-75%, low in Fe, Mg, Ca, high in K, Na

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 Crystallization of Magma

 Crystallization is a process of change from liquid state to

solid state.
 Magma is a solution of minerals but it doesn't crystallize
in the same way as ordinary solutions do.
 Magma is unique solution, for magma of a given
composition is able to crystallize in to a number of solid
rocks having different composition.

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 All minerals don't form at the same time; rather they form
at different times, at different temperature and
pressure conditions,
 Therefore minerals have different temperatures of
solidification.
 N.L Bowen, who was the first to study the magma
crystallization based on laboratory experiments,
suggested that as magma cools the first formed minerals
undergo continuous modification by reacting with the
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liquid remaining after they crystallize.
Bowen demonstrated that
minerals with a higher melting point, such as olivine,
crystallize first
 while minerals with a low melting point, such as
potassium feldspar and quartz, crystallize much later.
 The order of magma crystallization (the Bowen's reaction
series) is given by two reaction series) that are known as
- continuous
- discontinuous Bowen’s reaction series.
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Continuous Reaction Series

 In this reaction series the early-formed minerals are

converted into new minerals by continuously changing
their composition within the same crystalline
structure.

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Discontinuous Reaction Series

 In this reaction series some of the early-formed

minerals react with the liquid by change to new
minerals with different compositions and different
crystal structures.

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Magma-Differentiation and Formation of Igneous Rocks

 Minerals that form in the same temperature regime are

found together in the same igneous rock.
 Igneous rocks that are composed of the earliest formed
minerals, such as Olivine and Pyroxene, are said to have
an ultramafic composition.
 The common ultramafic rocks are dunite and peridotite.

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 Igneous rocks contains pyroxene and intermediate
plagioclase feldspars are formed Mafic (Basaltic)
composition such as Gabbro / Basalt.
Igneous rocks composed of amphibole and intermediate
plagioclase feldspar are referred to as Andesitic
composition such as Diorite / Andesite.
Igneous rocks contains K-feldspars, Muscovites and
Quartz crystallize to form the Acidic (Granitic) rocks such
as Granite/Rhyolite.
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 The final residual matter of the magma is a watery
solution rich in silica.
 The silica may form Quartz Veins or Pegmatite, which fill
gaps or fractures in the early-formed rocks.
 This process of igneous rock formation from a single
basic magma is known as Magma Differentiation.
 Acidic rocks such as Granites and Rhyolites may also
form from an original acidic magma.

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 QUICK QUIZ
1. Discuss how SiO2 concentration and
Temperature of the magma control
viscosity of the magma??

2. Discuss how addition of water and

decreasing pressure cause the melting of
source rock?? 42