The Rock Cycle
By: Kevin Patel
The Rock Cycle
Diabase (Igneous Rock)
Diabase is a rock with crystals that are noticeably larger than the others, a characteristic called porphyry. Porphyry is caused when different parts of the magma, that make up a rock have unequal levels of cooling paces due to their diverse locations in the magma stream as it ascends. The bulkier crystals in diabase are actually feldspar crystals, which developed greatly because of their reduced cooling paces. The crystals with the lesser mass are created as the magma stream begins to move at an accelerated pace, causing the crystals to have faster cooling paces, resulting in smaller crystals.
Bauxite (Sedimenatry Rock)
Bauxite is formed as rocks that are composed of aluminum or silica, are chemically weathered, then deposed onto land, forming Bauxite. Thus, making the rock a sedimentary rock, being composed of layers of sediment from different rocs containing aluminum or silica, which is a combination of silicon and oxygen. Bauxite can be found in areas that have somewhat of a tropical climate because natural running water sources weather away some of the silica in the nearby rock. Australia, for example would suit these conditions, which is why they are the country with the highest bauxite generation.
Slate (Metamorphic Rock)
What makes slate a metamorphic rock is the fact that it comes from a previous type of rock that has had numerous amounts of heat and pressure applied to it- in this case a sedimentary rock (shale).
Citations
www.nps.gov/goga/forteachers/diabase-faq.htm
http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/mitchell/technology/lessons/rocks/rockcyc.htm
http://www.agiweb.org/georef/PDF/LISTIalpha.pdf
http://www.agiweb.org/georef/PDF/LISTIalpha.pdf
http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar050180&st=bauxite
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauxite
http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00461/slate.htm
http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar513900&st=slate
http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/extmedia?id=ar513900&st=slate&em=pc011516
http://www.weekio.com/lava-formations-in-western-us-linked-to-rip-in-giant-slab-of-earth-2/