Name and define the three main categories of rocks. Briefly describe how each category is formed. Describe the three processes that can change one type of rock into another.
Name and define the three main categories of rocks. Briefly describe how each category is formed.
Describe the three processes that can change one type of rock into another.
The three main categories of rocks are:
- Igneous rocks: Igneous rocks are created when lava or magma solidifies. While lava is molten rock that erupts onto the surface of the Earth, magma is molten rock that is found below the surface. Minerals within the molten rock start to crystallize when the magma or lava cools and solidifies, becoming a solid rock.
- Sedimentary rocks: These are created when sediments, such as sand, silt, and clay, build up and cement together. The silt is finally deposited and compacted after being often carried by water, wind, or ice. Minerals in the sediment may precipitate over time and bind the granules together to create a rock.
- Rocks that have been altered by heat, pressure, and/or chemical processes are known as metamorphic rocks. These procedures have the power to change a rock's mineralogy, texture, and structure, producing a different kind of rock altogether. For instance, heat and pressure can lead to the recrystallization of minerals in sedimentary rock, resulting in the formation of metamorphic rock.
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks, the three major types of rocks, are all generated through different processes. Sedimentary rocks develop from the deposition and cementation of sediment, igneous rocks from the solidification of magma or lava, and metamorphic rocks from the modification of pre-existing rocks by heat, pressure, and/or chemical processes. Through procedures such as weathering and erosion, metamorphism, and melting and solidification, these kinds of rocks can transform into one another. These processes contribute to the dynamic character of the Earth's crust and help form the planet's surface throughout time.
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