Country rock (geology) in geology when the term "country rock" is used include: When describing a pluton or dike, the igneous rock can be described as intruding the surrounding "country rock", the rock into which the pluton has intruded. When country rock is intruded by dyke, it is called "discordant intrusion," while intrusion by a sill indicates a "sub-parallel" or "concordant intrusion". Most intrusions into country rock are via magma. Usually, country rock is intruded by an igneous body of rock which formed when magma forced upward through fractures, or melted through overlying rock. Magma then cooled into solid rock, different from the
Volcanism rapidly it cools. Magma that reaches the surface to become lava cools rapidly, resulting in rocks with small crystals such as basalt. Some of this magma may cool extremely rapidly and will form volcanic glass (rocks without crystals) such as obsidian. Magma trapped below ground in thin intrusions cools more slowly than exposed magma and produces rocks with medium-sized crystals. Magma that remains trapped in large quantities below ground cools most slowly resulting in rocks with larger crystals, such as granite and gabbro. Existing rocks that come into contact with magma may be melted and assimilated into the magma. Other