Is Granite A Common Igneous Rock

Granite is a common type of felsic intrusive igneous rock that is granular and phaneritic in texture.

Is granite a common igneous rock.

Eventually the overlying rocks are removed exposing the granite. Many people recognize granite because it is the most common igneous rock found at earth s surface and because granite is used to make many objects that we encounter in daily life. Granite is the most widespread of igneous rocks underlying much of the continental crust. Felsic rocks are less dense than mafic and ultramafic rocks and thus they tend to escape subduction whereas basaltic or gabbroic rocks tend to sink into the mantle beneath the granitic rocks of the continental cratons.

These include counter tops floor tiles paving stone curbing stair treads building veneer and cemetery monuments. Intrusive igneous rocks crystallize below earth s surface and the slow cooling that occurs there allows large crystals to form. What are igneous rocks. Plutonic means that it is magma that does not reach the surface of the earth and so cools very slowly underground.

Granite is the best known igneous rock. Granites can be predominantly white pink or gray in color depending on their mineralogy. Granite is the most common intrusive plutonic igneous rock. Granite is possibly the most common igneous rock type known to the general public.

Granite which is named for its granular or phaneritic texture has crystals that tend to be easily seen although they are generally small. Examples of intrusive igneous rocks are diabase diorite gabbro granite pegmatite and peridotite. Granite has a felsic composition and is more common in recent geologic time in contrast to earth s ultramafic ancient igneous history. The word granite comes from the latin granum a grain in reference to the coarse grained structure of such a holocrystalline rock.

Intrusive means that it has moved into other rocks by force coming up from the mantle. Because it cools slowly crystals have time to form. There are two basic types. It is a rock that has been used for centuries for many different purposes such as building material.