
one of the three main rock types that is formed by the forcing up of hot, molten

rock (magma), from great depths, or lava flows on the surface associated with volcanoes.
Taken from
Dictionary of Science________________________________________Igneous rock (from the
Latin ignis meaning
born of fire) is one of the three main
rock types (the others being
sedimentary and
metamorphic rock). Igneous rock is formed by
magma (molten rock) cooling and becoming solid. Igneous rock may form with or without
crystallization, either below the surface as
intrusive (
plutonic) rocks or on the surface as
extrusive (
volcanic) rocks. This magma can be derived from partial melts of pre-existing rocks in either a
planet's
mantle or
crust. Typically, the melting is caused by one or more of three processes: an increase in temperature, a decrease in pressure, or a change in composition. Over 700 types of igneous rocks have been described, most of them having formed beneath the surface of
Earth's
crust. These have diverse properties, depending on their composition and how they were formed.
Taken from
Wikipedia