Suzanne has taught college economics, geography, and statistics, and has master's degrees in agricultural economics and marine affairs (marine resource management). For phaneritic felsic rocks, the QAPF diagram should be used, and a name given according to the granite nomenclature. Additionally, felsic magmas may have very high gas contents. Felsic minerals are usually light in color and have specific gravities less than 3. Test Optional Admissions: Benefiting Schools, Students, or Both? Common felsic rocks include granite, rhyolite, and dacite. Ecoregions of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia (EPA) Andesite and diorite are intermediate igneous rocks that have a chemistry between mafic and felsic (silica amounts between 53 to 65%). Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Felsic: Derived from the words feldspar and silica to describe an igneous rock having abundant light-colored minerals such as quartz, feldspars, or muscovite. It erupts from volcanoes and cools too quickly to form large crystals. Rhyolite is commonly pink and will often have glassy quartz phenocrysts. Get the unbiased info you need to find the right school. Felsic rocks are igneous rocks that are rich in feldspar and silicon. In order for a rock to be classified as felsic, it generally needs to contain more than 75% felsic minerals; namely quartz, orthoclase and plagioclase. Granite is an intrusive, or plutonic, igneous rock, which means that it's formed when magma cools and hardens in spaces within the Earth's crust. - Definition & Explanation, What is a Map Key/Legend? just create an account. What is the density of felsic rocks? Did you know… We have over 220 college Table 1. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal The term acid rock, although sometimes used as a synonym, in current usage refers to a high silica content (greater than 63% SiO2 by weight) volcanic rock such as rhyolite. The explosive volcanic eruptions that produce rhyolite are also sources of obsidian. The most common felsic rock is granite. Because felsic lavas are less mobile, it is less common than granite. Because there are so many forms that all these minerals can take, there are also many types of granite. An example of a mafic rock is basalt, the black rock that forms from lava flows in places like Hawaii. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree, Bowen's Reaction Series: Crystallization Process & Magmatic Differentiation, Detrital & Chemical Sedimentary Rocks: Definition & Differences, Base Level of a Stream: Definition & Effect on Erosion, Contact Metamorphism Vs. The name 'granite' refers to the grainy quality of the rock. The most common felsic rock is granite , which represents the purified end product of the earth's internal differentiation process. Obsidian fractures into very sharp-edged pieces, and cultures around the world have taken advantage of this fact to make beautiful cutting tools and weapons. Igneous rocks are classified according to their mineral content: Ultramafic rocks are dominated by olivine and/or pyroxene. It may seem strange to think of a solid granite mountain as light weight, but compared to a basalt rock of the same size, it is. Anyone can earn 's' : ''}}. Like more familiar kinds of glass, it's high in silica. Although pumice and obsidian look about as different as two rocks can, pumice is also a type of volcanic glass that is a hardened silicate foam. Rocks with high amounts of iron (Fe) tend to form minerals that are dark in color (such as olivine and pyroxene). Granite: Intrusive (batholith generally), Felsic, igneous rock. In this lesson, you will read about felsic rocks and find out what they're made of - their name gives clues to their composition. Why or why not? However, this only applies to volcanic rocks. In order for a rock to be classified as felsic it generally needs to contain >75% felsic minerals; namely quartz, orthoclase and plagioclase. Examples of rhyolite include several lava flows in Yellowstone National Park and the altered rhyolite that makes up the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. a) A very large one that has a very broad gentle slope that looks like a warriors shield from a distance. The project aimed to provide a synthesis of publicly available data sets to assess the metallogenic potential of major Australian Phanerozoic granite suites and their associated host rocks. Granite is a great example of Felsic rocks and muscovite, quartz, and some feldspar are the best examples of Felsic minerals. There are examples known of highly sheared granites which can be mistaken for rhyolites. Felsic minerals are usually light in color and have specific gravities less than 3.0. Create your account. Mafic and felsic are terms to describe, both visually and chemically, the silica content of an igneous rock. Over 83,000 lessons in all major subjects, {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}}, What is a Continent? Felsite is a petrologic field term used to refer to very fine grained or aphanitic, light colored volcanic rocks that may be later reclassified after a more detailed microscopic or chemical analysis. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. The term combines the words "feldspar" and "silica." Granite is a felsic rock containing feldspar and quartz along with mica and amphibole, which are also silicate minerals. If you find a piece of pumice you know that a very violent eruption took place, because this foamy rock only forms under very high heat and pressure conditions. Rhyolite is a fine-crystalline felsic extrusive rock. Basalt is one of the main rocks to form the oceanic crust (the part of the Earth's surface under the Ocean). An extrusive igneous rocks definition states these rocks form when magma "exits and cools above (or very near) the Earth's surface." - Location, Facts & History, Yellowstone National Park: Facts, Location & History, General Studies Earth & Space Science: Help & Review, Biological and Biomedical After feldspar, it's the second most important crust mineral. (See mafic to contrast.) Filter. Examples of such kind of rocks include pumice, basalt, or obsidian. - Definition & Explanation, What is Carbon Dating? Obsidian is natural volcanic glass. Examples of Igneous Rocks. Which type of volcano would be more likely to erupt explosively? Geology Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. A dark-coloured, fine-grained rock. Not sure what college you want to attend yet? These datasets were considered to be key ingredients for better definition and targeting of potential gra… Compare and contrast granite and rhyolite. Services. Unlike mafic rocks, which are rocks high in magnesium and iron (like basalt), felsic rocks come in amazing and unforgettable varieties. Gabbro is a mafic rock and has the same chemistry and mineralogy as basalt; diorite is an intermediate rock equivalent to andesite; and granite is a felsic rock equivalent to rhyolite. imaginable degree, area of Common felsic minerals include quartz, muscovite mica, and the orthoclase feldspars . The most common felsic rock is granite. Whether you meet them on a climbing expedition or in an archeological dig, or even floating on the ocean, their name tells you that they all have something in common. Often the species of mafic minerals is included in the name, for instance hornblende-bearing granite, pyroxene tonalite or augite megacrystic monzonite as the term granite already assumes feldspar and quartz. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. This may not sound very specific, and in fact there are many different kinds of feldspar. 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