Rock Types

Granite is a coarse-grained, intrusive igneous rock composed primarily of the minerals feldspar, mica, and quartz.

Granite 3D Model by Rutgers University Geology Museum

When the bulk of a basalt is mostly solid and textured with many small holes known as vesicles, it is called a vesicular basalt. These vesicles form when gases dissolved in magma come out of solution and are able to expand as the magma reaches the surface. The gases remain trapped in these small pockets as the lava hardens.

Vesicular Basalt 3D Model by Rutgers University Geology Museum

Basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained, mafic igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity, magnesium- and iron-rich lava at or near the surface of Earth.

Basalt 3D Model by Rutgers University Geology Museum

Gneiss is a common metamorphic rock formed by high temperatures and pressures and known for its distinct foliation of alternating dark and light bands.

Gneiss 3D Model by Rutgers University Geology Museum