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Home > Intrusion (geology)


 

A geologic intrusion is usually a body of igneous rock that has crystallized from a molten magma below the surface of the Earth. Intrusive rocks include all varieties of igneous rocks from coarse-grained, phaneritic granites of large batholiths to very fine grained, aphanitic, rhyolites in volcanic necks or feeder pipes. In composition, intrusive rocks also include the entire sequence of igneous rock types from the dense and dark ultramafic peridotites to the very light-colored and low-density alkali granites and syenites. Bodies of magma that solidify underground before they reach the surface of the earth are called plutons, named for Pluto, the Greek god of the underworld.

Intrusive rocks also exist in a wide range of forms from mountain range sized batholiths to thin vein-like fracture fillings of aplite. Structural types include:

Diapir is the more general term for intrusions that includes both igneous and non-igneous structures, such as salt domeA salt dome is formed when a thick bed of evaporite minerals (mainly salt, or halite) found at depth intrudes vertically into surrounding rock strata, forming a diapir. The salt that forms these deposits was laid down in prehistoric times, mainly in places. A diapir is any relatively mobile mass that intrudes into preexisting rock strata. Diapirs commonly intrude vertically through more denseFor other meanings of density, see density (disambiguation Density (symbol: rho Greek: rho) is a measure of mass per unit of volume. The higher an object's density, the higher its mass per volume. The average density of an object equals its total mass div rocks because of buoyancyIn physics, buoyancy is an upward force on an object immersed in a fluid, enabling it to float or at least to appear to become lighter. If the buoyancy exceeds the weight, then the object floats; if the weight exceeds the buoyancy, the object sinks. It wa forces associated with relatively low-density rock types, such as salt, shale and hot magma, all of which form diapirs. The process is known as diapirism.

By pushing upward and piercing overlying rock layers, diapirs can form anticlines, salt domes and other structures capable of trapping petroleumNodding donkey pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 Petroleum (from Latin petrus rock and oleum oil), mineral oil or crude oil sometimes colloquially called black gold is a thick, dark brown or greenish flammable liquid, which exists in the uppe and natural gasNatural gas is a gas produced by the anaerobic decay of organic material. It is usually found in oil fields and natural gas fields, but is also generated in swamps and marshes (where it is called swamp gas or marsh gas , in landfill sites, and during dige. Igneous intrusions themselves are typically too hot to allow the preservation of preexisting hydrocarbons.

Volcanology Petrology

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