Petrology is a section of geology which involves the study of rockss and the conditions by which they form. There are three branches of petrology, corresponding to the three types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.
- Igneous petrology focuses on the genesis of rocks that crystallized from a magma.
- Metamorphic petrology focusses the changes that a rock undergoes as a result primarly of changing conditions of pressure and temperature.
- Sedimentary petrology focusses on the processes by which sedimentary rocks are produced.