Many volcanoes and subvolcanic rock bodies observed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile represent didactic examples that explain the relation between textural and structural aspects of their constituent rocks and crystallization environment of the rock bodies. The volcanic bodies, such as lavas and pyroclastic flows, have large horizontal extension, small thickness, and sub-horizontal contacts plains. On the other hand, many subvolcanic bodies, such as vent-filling rock bodies have small horizontal extension, large vertical dimension, and sub-vertical contacts plains. The volcanic rock bodies are constituted by fine-grained rocks, however some subvolcanic bodies also are made up of similar rocks. The grain-size of igneous rocks is related mainly to magma-cooling rate, and not directly to their emplacement depth. Therefore, the interpretation of geological occurrence mode from the lithological and petrological description is often impossible, especially in case of pyroclastic rocks. Geological occurrence mode of an igneous body must be determined by means of field observations, especially of contact outcrops.
volcano; subvolcanic body; texture; structure; Argentina; Brazil; Chile
