The Rock Cycle
By: Sawyer Drye and Jared Craig
What is the Rock cycle?
The rock cycle is a non-stop process in which rocks continuously change from one form to the next over a period of time. The three types of rocks are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
How it works:
Igneous rock can become sedimentary rock because it is weathered into sediment which will later bond together to become sedimentary rock. That sedimentary rock will over time, under intense pressure and heat, become hardened into metamorphic rock. This metamorphic rock can eventually melt down into magma and once a volcano erupts, the lava spewed out will cool and become igneous rock once again. Another thing metamorphic rock could do is become weathered into sediment and become sedimentary rock again.
The three types of rocks:
Igneous
Characteristics: often looks shiny or glass-like; sometimes trap gas bubbles which leave small holes
Examples: basalt, obsidian
Formed by: cooling of lava/magma
Metamorphic
Characteristics: often have ribbon-like layers and may contain small crystals formed by minerals over time
Examples: gneiss, marble
Formed by: intense heat and pressure
Sedimentary
Characteristics: can see sand, pebbles, or stone in the rock; usually the only type that contains fossils
Examples: conglomerate and limestone
Formed by: Sediment and materials gradually accumulates and hardens into rock