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The Earth’s crust is composed predominantly of igneous rocks,
which have cooled and solidified from a molten state. Igneous rocks
can be broadly subdivided into two categories: (1) Extrusive rocks,
which erupt from cracks, fissures and volcanoes on the Earth’s
surface, and (2) Intrusive rocks, which cool and solidify, at depth,
beneath the Earth’s surface. The rocks that crystallize in
an extrusive environment look very different to those that crystallized
at depth. The appearance of a crystalline rock is commonly described
in terms of its texture. Where, texture refers to the size, shape
and orientation of the crystals that make-up the rock. In this project
we will investigate, experimentally, the factors that lead to the
development of different textures.
Along the way the student will be introduced to the following:
- An introduction to geology
- Rock classification
- Optical microscopy
- Melting and crystallization processes
- Experiment design
- Data recording
- Graphical analysis
- Interpretation
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