What texture can igneous rocks exhibit based on cooling rates?

Igneous rocks can exhibit various textures that are influenced by the rate at which they cool. A vesicular texture is characterized by many small gas bubbles or vesicles that form as gas escapes from molten rock during the cooling process. This typically occurs when lava cools quickly, often when it erupts onto the surface and interacts with the atmosphere or water.

When the magma or lava cools rapidly, the gases do not have time to escape fully, leading to the formation of these bubble-like structures in the rock. Common examples of rocks with vesicular texture include pumice and scoria, both of which are formed from explosive volcanic activity.

Other textures, such as granular and glassy, also result from different cooling rates. Granular texture occurs when magma cools slowly, allowing larger crystals to form, while glassy texture is the result of extremely rapid cooling that prevents crystal growth entirely. Stratified texture is not typically associated with igneous rocks, but rather with sedimentary processes. Thus, vesicular texture specifically illustrates the relationship between the cooling rate of lava and the presence of gas bubbles, making it the correct choice in this context.