Extrusive igneous rocks have small crystals.
Why do extrusive rocks have small crystals?
Extrusive rocks are formed as lava flows cool immediately after a volcano erupts. This fast cooling forces the crystals to develop in a short period of time. Hence, the individual mineral molecules only have enough time to align themselves in a small crystalline lattice. That is why an extrusive igneous rock has a very high density of tiny mineral crystals (an aphanitic texture).
Why do intrusive rocks have large crystals?
Intrusive rocks are formed beneath the earths surface where the temperature is high and magmatic intrusions cool over a very long period of time. Since they solidify so slowly the individual mineral molecules have much more time to arrange into very large crystals.
Do all igneous rocks have crystals?
Obsidian is an igneous rock that solidifies almost in an instant. This gives no time for any crystals to develop. This is why obsidian has a very smooth glass like texture.
Extrusive igneous rocks do not form large crystals because they are cooling on or near Earth's surface. Which is not underground. As it is cooling ABOVE ground because of the weather up in the atmosphere is cooler Extrusive rocks cool sooner.
While INTRUSIVE rocks are cooling below, which is hot. and takes more time.
An intrusive igneous rock cools from a molten state far underground. Consequently, it cools off much more slowly than does an extrusive volcanic rock. The much longer cooling time gives atoms and molecules longer to migrate through the liquid magma and assemble into crystals. To put it another way, the atoms and molecules aren't forced to crystalize in their immediate vicinity, but have more time to migrate farther through the fluid and join a crystal somewhere else, thus making that more distant crystal larger than it would be if those atoms had to join a nearby crystal.
You would expect to find an igneous rock with small crystals near the Earth's surface where the rock cools relatively quickly, such as in volcanic eruptions or magma intrusions that do not have much time to grow large crystals. These rocks are known as volcanic or extrusive igneous rocks.
Igneous rocks can be either extrusive or intrusive. Extrusive igneous rocks form from lava cooling quickly on or near the Earth's surface, resulting in small crystals. Intrusive igneous rocks form from magma cooling slowly beneath the Earth's surface, resulting in larger crystals.
Igneous rocks can have both small and large crystals, depending on how quickly they cool. If an igneous rock cools slowly beneath the Earth's surface, it can form large crystals, while rapid cooling at the Earth's surface or in an eruption can result in small or no visible crystals.
If a rock has large crystals, it is an intrusive rock. Intrusive rocks form underneath the Earth's surface. Magma cools slowly so it has time to form large crystals. An example is granite, where you can see the crystals with your naked eye. Rocks that have small crystals are extrusive rocks. Extrusive rocks are ones that form from lava (blasted out of a volcano) so they cool very quickly, not allowing large crystals to form. An example is obsidian, where you cannot visibly see the small crystals; it just looks like one black, glassy rock.
Igneous rocks with large crystals are called intrusive rocks, formed from magma cooling slowly beneath the Earth's surface, allowing for large crystals to form. Igneous rocks with small crystals are called extrusive rocks, formed from lava cooling quickly on the Earth's surface, resulting in small crystals due to rapid cooling.
You would expect to find an igneous rock with small crystals near the Earth's surface where the rock cools relatively quickly, such as in volcanic eruptions or magma intrusions that do not have much time to grow large crystals. These rocks are known as volcanic or extrusive igneous rocks.
Igneous rocks can be either extrusive or intrusive. Extrusive igneous rocks form from lava cooling quickly on or near the Earth's surface, resulting in small crystals. Intrusive igneous rocks form from magma cooling slowly beneath the Earth's surface, resulting in larger crystals.
Igneous rocks can have both small and large crystals, depending on how quickly they cool. If an igneous rock cools slowly beneath the Earth's surface, it can form large crystals, while rapid cooling at the Earth's surface or in an eruption can result in small or no visible crystals.
An igneous rock with small crystals is called a fine-grained igneous rock. These rocks form when molten rock cools quickly at or near the Earth's surface, preventing large crystals from forming. Examples include basalt and rhyolite.
Extrusive Igneous Rocks. Basalt (Plankey1995 JF)
If a rock has large crystals, it is an intrusive rock. Intrusive rocks form underneath the Earth's surface. Magma cools slowly so it has time to form large crystals. An example is granite, where you can see the crystals with your naked eye. Rocks that have small crystals are extrusive rocks. Extrusive rocks are ones that form from lava (blasted out of a volcano) so they cool very quickly, not allowing large crystals to form. An example is obsidian, where you cannot visibly see the small crystals; it just looks like one black, glassy rock.
Igneous rocks with large crystals are called intrusive rocks, formed from magma cooling slowly beneath the Earth's surface, allowing for large crystals to form. Igneous rocks with small crystals are called extrusive rocks, formed from lava cooling quickly on the Earth's surface, resulting in small crystals due to rapid cooling.
Lava cools quickly and forms rocks with small crystals. They are called extrusive igneous rocks.
These are extrusive igneous rocks with an aphanitic texture.
Extrusive igneous rocks form fine-grained crystals due to rapid cooling at Earth's surface, resulting in minerals like basalt, andesite, and rhyolite. These rocks cool quickly, preventing the formation of large crystals typically found in intrusive igneous rocks.
Intrusive rock normally has visible crystals. Extrusive igneous rock has small crystals. A black extrusive igneous rock with small crystals could be basalt.
Aphanitic igneous rocks, such as basalt or rhyolite, have crystals that are too small to be visible to the naked eye. These rocks form when molten lava cools quickly on the Earth's surface, preventing large crystals from forming.