Download The Rock Cycle

THE ROCK CYCLE
Chapter 3.1
WHAT IS A ROCK?
• A rock is a solid mass of
minerals or mixture of minerals
that occurs naturally.
• We classify all the rocks on our
planet into three different groups
based on how they were formed.
• The three different groups are
Igneous Rocks, Sedimentary
Rocks, and Metamorphic Rocks.
WHAT IS THE ROCK CYCLE?
• The Rock Cycle is a continuous cycle that rocks undergo as they are
exposed to the all the different processes that can occur on the earth.
• Granite for example, is formed when magma cools down and crystallizes.
Rocks that form in this way are called Igneous Rocks.
• But if Granite weathers and erodes into sediment, then gets deposited and
eventually cemented together to form a new rock, it can turn into Sandstone,
Siltstone or Shale. These types of rocks are called Sedimentary Rocks.
• If Granite, Sandstone, or Shale is exposed to extreme heat and pressure
when buried underground at extreme depths, it could recrystallize to form
Gneiss, Quartzite, or Slate. This would make a Metamorphic Rock.
A SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF THE ROCK CYCLE
A MORE REALISTIC BUT COMPLEX VERSION OF THE ROCK CYCLE