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igneous rock
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
temperature of Earth subduction Bowen's reaction series intrusive igneous rock divergent plate boundary A chart categorizes common textural terms for rocks by grain size in millimeters, dividing them into igneous and metamorphic, sedimentary, and pyroclastic types, with terms like phaneritic, sand, silt, breccia, and ash shown in relation to size.
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Basalt sample returned by Apollo 15, from near a long sinous lunar valley called Hadley Rille. Measured at 3.3 years old.
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igneous rock: References & Edit History

Additional Reading

Anthony Hall, Igneous Petrology, 2nd ed. (1996); Paul C. Hess, Origins of Igneous Rocks (1989); Anthony R. Philpotts, Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (1990); Marjorie Wilson, Igneous Petrogenesis (1989); Robert Decker and Barbara Decker, Volcanoes, 3rd ed. (1998); Alexander R. McBirney, Igneous Petrology, 2nd ed. (1993); Jacques-Marie Bardintzeff and Alexander R. McBirney, Volcanology, 2nd ed. (2000).

Albert M. Kudo

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • Richard H. Jahns
    Crook Professor of Geology and Applied Earth Sciences, Stanford University, California; Dean, School of Earth Sciences, 1965–79.
  • Albert M. Kudo
    Professor of Geology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: Maricopa Open Digital Press - Introduction to Historical Geology - Igneous Rocks. Sep 18, 2026
Add new Web site: The Open university - OpenLearn - The formation of igneous rocks. May 02, 2026
Add new Web site: Pressbooks at Virginia Tech - Introduction to Earth Science, Second Edition - Igneous Processes and Volcanoes. Dec 24, 2025
Add new Web site: IOPscience - IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science - Igneous rock classification using Convolutional neural networks (CNN) (PDF). Sep 17, 2025
Add new Web site: American Association for the Advancement of Science - Science Advances - Continental igneous rock composition: A major control of past global chemical weathering. Aug 06, 2025
Add new Web site: CiteSeerX - Chilled margins in igneous rocks (PDF). Jan 25, 2025
Add new Web site: University of Diyala - College of Sciences - Igneous Rocks Lectures. Nov 12, 2024
Add new Web site: Open Education Alberta - Planet Earth - The Rock Cycle I: Magma and Igneous Rock. Oct 09, 2024
Add new Web site: Tulane University - Magmas and Igneous Rocks (PDF). Jun 26, 2024
Add new Web site: UNESCO-EOLSS - Occurrence, Texture, and Classification of Igneous Rocks. Mar 07, 2024
Add new Web site: University of Houston Open Educational Resources - Investigating the Earth: Exercises for Physical Geology - Igneous Rocks. Dec 22, 2023
Add new Web site: Open Oregon Educational Resources - Classification of Igneous Rocks. Oct 13, 2023
Add new Web site: University of Saskatchewan Pressbooks - Classification of Igneous Rocks. Sep 01, 2023
Add new Web site: National Park Service - Igneous Rock. Feb 01, 2023
Add new Web site: Geosciences LibreTexts - Classification of Igneous Rocks. Dec 25, 2022
Add new Web site: National Geographic Society - Igneous Rock. Apr 26, 2022
Deleted media. Mar 09, 2021
New media added. Mar 04, 2021
Corrected display issue. Nov 12, 2020
Corrected display issue. Jun 14, 2018
Add new Web site: One Geology - Kids - Igneous Rock. Dec 16, 2016
Add new Web site: Easy Science for Kids - Igneous Rock. Dec 16, 2016
Add new Web site: CoolKidFacts.com - Igneous Rocks. Dec 16, 2016
Add new Web site: National Park Service - Earth Science Concepts. Sep 20, 2016
Add new Web site: The Canadian Encyclopedia - Igneous Rock. Apr 09, 2014
Add new Web site: The Civil War - Biography of Leonidas Polk. Mar 18, 2014
Add new Web site: Australian Museum - Igneous rock types. Mar 18, 2014
Add new Web site: Science Kids - Fun Science and technology For Kids! - Igneous Rock. Mar 18, 2014
Add new Web site: Tulane University - Magma and Igneous Rocks. Jan 25, 2013
Add new Web site: Picasa Image Gallery - AZ Geology - Igneous Rocks. Nov 27, 2012
Add new Web site: Picasa Image Gallery - AZ Geology - Igneous Rocks. Nov 27, 2012
Added video overview of the geologic cycle. Feb 09, 2011
Text noting that Earth began to form some 4.6 billion years ago added. Aug 06, 2010
Updated geologic time data. Apr 01, 2010
Geologic time data updated. Sep 11, 2009
Added new Web site: Window To The Universe - Igneous Rocks. Apr 24, 2009
Added new Web site: Hyperphysics - Intrusive and Extrusive Rocks. Mar 30, 2009
Added new Web site: Tulane University - Igneous Rocks of the Convergent Margins. Mar 23, 2009
Added new Web site: The Franklin Institute Online - How Igneous Rock Is Formed. Nov 10, 2008
Added new Web site: University of Kentucky - Igneous Rocks. Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Hyperphysics - Igneous Rock Composition. Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: James Madison University - An introduction to igneous rocks. Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Glendale Community College - Igneous Rock Classification. Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Rocksandminerals4u - Igneous Rocks. Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Window To The Universe - Igneous Rocks. Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Amethyst Galleries - Igneous Rocks. Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Math Science Nucleus - Igneous Rock. Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: ThinkQuest - Igneous Rocks. Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: ClassZone - How Do Igneous Rocks Form? Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Face of the Earth - Igneous Rock. Oct 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Kentucky Geological Survey - University of Kentucky - Igneous Rock. Apr 09, 2008
Added new Web site: Geological Sciences Department of California State Polytechnic University - Igneous rock Classification. Apr 09, 2008
Added new Web site: Physical Geology Course at Tulane University - Magmas, Igneous Rocks, Volcanoes, and Plutons. Apr 07, 2008
Added new Web site: Buzzle.com - Igneous Rocks. Apr 07, 2008
Added new Web site: Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery - Igneous Rocks. Apr 07, 2008
Added new Web site: Online Geology Courses at Perimeter College - Igneous Rocks. Apr 07, 2008
Added new Web site: David Jessey - Igneous Rocks. Apr 07, 2008
Added new Web site: Glendale Community College - igneous rock Classification. Apr 01, 2008
Added new Web site: The Canadian Encyclopedia - Igneous Rock. Oct 04, 2007
Added new Web site: Geological Sciences Department of California State Polytechnic University - Classification of Igneous rocks. Sep 20, 2007
Added new Web site: Emporia State University - Igneous Rock Classification. Sep 20, 2007
Added new Web site: Mineralogical Society of America - Igneous Rock Identification Chart. Sep 20, 2007
Added new Web site: Geochemistry of Igneous Rocks. Jan 16, 2007
Added new Web site: United States Geological Survey - North Cascades Geology. Dec 21, 2006
Added new Web site: United StatesGeological Survey - Igneous Rocks. Dec 21, 2006
Added new Web site: ALERT at Cal Poly Pomona - Igneous Rock. Dec 21, 2006
Added new Web site: HyperPhysics - Geophysics. Dec 21, 2006
Added new Web site: Utah State Office of Education - Igneous. Dec 21, 2006
Bibliography revised. Dec 08, 2006
Article revised and updated. Dec 08, 2006
Article revised and updated. Dec 08, 2006
Added new Web site: University of North Carolina - Atlas of Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks, Minerals, & Textures. Jun 26, 2006
Added new Web site: Igneous Rocks Tour. Jun 02, 2006
Article revised. Sep 25, 2000
Article added to new online database. Jul 26, 1999
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