Contents
- 1 What is the difference between felsic and mafic rocks?
- 2 What rock can be mafic felsic or intermediate?
- 3 What physical characteristics can you use to distinguish felsic intermediate and mafic igneous rocks?
- 4 Is granite an intermediate rock?
- 5 What are the three main differences between felsic and mafic rocks?
- 6 What two factors determine what type of rock a magma will form?
- 7 What is the difference between felsic intermediate and ultramafic rocks?
- 8 How are intermediate and felsic igneous rocks formed?
- 9 What kind of silica is found in mafic rocks?
What is the difference between felsic and mafic rocks?
Chemically, mafic rocks are enriched in iron, magnesium and calcium and typically dark in color. In contrast, the felsic rocks are typically light in color and enriched in aluminium and silicon along with potassium and sodium. The mafic rocks also typically have a higher density than felsic rocks.
What rock can be mafic felsic or intermediate?
Igneous Rocks by Composition
| Coarse-Grained Textures | Fine-Grained Textures |
|---|---|
| Peridotite = Ultramafic | Komatiite (Ultramafic, but too rare to worry about at this point in your life) |
| Gabbro = Mafic | Basalt = Mafic |
| Diorite = Intermediate | Andesite = Intermediate |
| Granite = Felsic | Rhyolite = Felsic |
What physical characteristics can you use to distinguish felsic intermediate and mafic igneous rocks?
The most general classification is based on the relative abundance in a rock of felsic (feldspar and silica-quartz) minerals vs mafic (magnesium and ferrum or iron) minerals. Felsic minerals (quartz, K feldspar, etc) are light colored while mafic minerals (hornblende, pyroxenes) are normally dark colored.
What are the characteristics of mafic rocks?
Mafic rock, in geology, igneous rock that is dominated by the silicates pyroxene, amphibole, olivine, and mica. These minerals are high in magnesium and ferric oxides, and their presence gives mafic rock its characteristic dark colour.
Is granite a magma or lava?
Basalt and granite actually have quite a bit in common. Both are igneous rocks, which means that they cooled from a magma (the earth gets very hot just below the surface, and there is lots of liquid rock available). Both are made up of minerals from the silicate group, so both have large amounts of silicon and oxygen.
Is granite an intermediate rock?
Compilations of many rock analyses show that rhyolite and granite are felsic, with an average silica content of about 72 percent; syenite, diorite, and monzonite are intermediate, with an average silica content of 59 percent; gabbro and basalt are mafic, with an average silica content of 48 percent; and peridotite is …
What are the three main differences between felsic and mafic rocks?
Comparison Table Between Mafic and Felsic
| Parameters of Comparison | Mafic | Felsic |
|---|---|---|
| Density | High density and heavy | Low density and lightweight |
| Colour | Dark shades of green, or black | Light-coloured |
| Mineral Content | Rich in magnesium and iron | Rich in aluminium and silica |
| Silica Level | 45-55% | 70-85% |
What two factors determine what type of rock a magma will form?
Two factors determine what type of rock forms. The composition of the magma determines if the rock is mafic, felsic, or intermediate. The rate the magma cools determines the texture of the rock.
Why are mafic rocks dark?
How is a mafic rock different from a felsic rock?
Either in describing rocks or lava, mafic means that the lava or rock has less silica while felsic implies that the lava or rock has the most silica. Similarly, how is an intermediate igneous rock different than a felsic or mafic igneous rock in terms of composition and color?
What is the difference between felsic intermediate and ultramafic rocks?
In a widely accepted silica-content classification scheme, rocks with more than 65 percent silica are called felsic; those with between 55 and 65 percent silica are intermediate; those with between 45 and 55 percent silica are mafic; and those with less than 45 percent are ultramafic. Click to see full answer.
How are intermediate and felsic igneous rocks formed?
Intermediate rocks are composed of the minerals amphibole and feldspar and contain a combination of light and dark minerals. Igneous rocks are formed by the cooling and crystallization of magma. The temperature of cooling determines which types of minerals are found in…
What kind of silica is found in mafic rocks?
Silica content in Mafic rocks is around 50% by weight. Most of these rocks are gray though Mafic rocks are also found in brown, green, and even black colors. Felsic. Felsic is a term that is used to refer to igneous rocks rich in mineral feldspar. Felsic is a term that is made up of the names of Feldspar and silica.