IGNEOUS ROCKS Igneous rocks are the foundation of Earth’s crust, formed from the cooling and solidification of molten magma or lava. They are divided into two main types: intrusive igneous rocks, which cool slowly beneath the surface to form large crystals like granite, and extrusive igneous rocks, which cool quickly at the surface to form fine-grained textures like basalt. These rocks are the starting point of the rock cycle and reveal much about volcanic activity, plate tectonics, and the comp

IGNEOUS ROCKS Igneous rocks are one of the three main rock types, alongside sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They form through the cooling and solidification of molten material, either magma beneath the Earth’s surface or lava at the surface. The term igneous comes from the Latin word ignis, meaning fire. FORMATION When magma cools slowly beneath the Earth’s crust, it produces intrusive (plutonic) igneous rocks with large, visible crystals. When lava cools rapidly on the surface, it forms extr