Rocks
Rocks might seem unchanging, but they undergo constant transformation due to natural processes like heat, pressure, and erosion.
A rock is a naturally formed substance that may consist of one or more minerals. Some rocks, like coal, contain non-mineral materials but are still classified as rocks.
Since minerals develop under different environmental conditions, they provide clues about a rock’s origin and history.
Geologists classify rocks into three main types based on their formation:
Igneous rocks form when molten rock cools and solidifies, either underground as magma or on the surface as lava.
Sedimentary rocks develop when sediments, small rock fragments like sand, silt, or clay, are compacted and cemented over time. Some also form from minerals left behind after water evaporates.
Metamorphic rocks originate from existing rocks that undergo changes due to heat or pressure without melting. These transformations occur deep within Earth.
Rocks continuously change from one type to another through a process called the rock cycle, which explains how different forces reshape Earth’s materials over time.
Rocks might seem unchanging, but they undergo constant transformation due to natural processes like heat, pressure, and erosion.
A rock is a naturally formed substance that may consist of one or more minerals. Some rocks, like coal, contain non-mineral materials but are still classified as rocks.
Since minerals develop under different environmental conditions, they provide clues about a rock’s origin and history.
Geologists classify rocks into three main types based on their formation:
Igneous rocks form when molten rock cools and solidifies, either underground as magma or on the surface as lava.
Sedimentary rocks develop when sediments, small rock fragments like sand, silt, or clay, are compacted and cemented over time. Some also form from minerals left behind after water evaporates.
Metamorphic rocks originate from existing rocks that undergo changes due to heat or pressure without melting. These transformations occur deep within Earth.
Rocks continuously change from one type to another through a process called the rock cycle, which explains how different forces reshape Earth’s materials over time.