S.A.L. Inc. Presents..............
~The Rockin' Rock Cycle!~
Search for these rockin' vocab words throughout the web-page: Igneous Rock Sedimentary Rock Metamorphic Rock Rock Cycle
Fine-Grained Coarse-Grained Sediment Compaction
Cementation Clastic Rock Organic Rock Chemical Rock
*Also look for the italicized rock names
Fine-Grained Coarse-Grained Sediment Compaction
Cementation Clastic Rock Organic Rock Chemical Rock
*Also look for the italicized rock names
The rock cycle is the process when rocks are changed from one form, to another.
To find a few fun songs about the rock cycle, click on these links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53lMdHzvGCQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE3jR_RhxO4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mfpmUNMtNc
Enjoy :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53lMdHzvGCQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE3jR_RhxO4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mfpmUNMtNc
Enjoy :)
Our webtastic site will show you through the formations of.................ROCKS!!!!!!
Go to http://www.rpdp.net/sciencetips_v3/E8C2.htm to find this picture and more info! This diagram shows the rock cycle and the processes that are involved in it. The 3 rocks in the rock cycle are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock. |
Igneous Rocks
This is a picture of a piece of pumice, a kind of igneous rock. This picture came from the website from the link. Click the link to find out more about pumice, and other igneous rocks: http://geology.com/rocks/igneous-rocks.shtml
Characteristics of Igneous Rocks
Igneous rocks are rocks that form from lava and magma. The name "igneous" comes from the Latin word "ignis" meaning "fire". Igneous rocks are an interesting type of rock. The origin of igneous rocks is where they form. Extrusive rock is igneous rock that formed when lava erupted onto the Earth's surface. Intrusive rock is igneous rock that hardens beneath the Earth's surface.
Igneous rocks are rocks that form from lava and magma. The name "igneous" comes from the Latin word "ignis" meaning "fire". Igneous rocks are an interesting type of rock. The origin of igneous rocks is where they form. Extrusive rock is igneous rock that formed when lava erupted onto the Earth's surface. Intrusive rock is igneous rock that hardens beneath the Earth's surface.
http://www.sandatlas.org/rock-types/
This is a link to the website this picture came from. This is a picture of a piece of fine-grained textured, aplite. |
Basalt is the most common type of extrusive igneous rock. Basalt forms much of the Earth's crust, including oceanic crust, shield volcanoes, and lava plateaus. This picture of basalt came from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basalt
http://geology.com/rocks/igneous-rocks.shtml
This link is where this picture came from. This is a picture of a coarse-grained textured, piece of granite. |
This is a picture of glassy textured, obsidian. This link will take you to the website where this picture came from.
http://joediv4.weebly.com/igneous-rocks.html |
Granite is the most abundant intrusive igneous rock in the Earth's continental crust. Granite batholiths( bodies of magma that cool inside the Earth's crust) form the core of many mountain ranges. This picture of granite came from:
http://crystal.isgs.uiuc.edu/maps-data-pub/publications/rocks-min/igneous.shtml This is a link to this picture of a porphyritic textured igneous rock. This link will take you to a website about porphyritic textured rocks, where this picture came from. This is a picture of a piece of porphyry. http://www.sandatlas.org/rock-types/ |
The texture of igneous rocks depends on the size and shape of its mineral crystals. The texture of igneous rocks can be fine-grained, coarse-grained, glassy, and porphyritic. The fast cooling lava forms fine-grained igneous rocks with small crystals . Slow cooling magma forms coarse-grained igneous rocks with large crystals. Intrusive rocks have larger crystals then extrusive rocks. A rock with large crystals scattered in a background of much smaller crystals have a porphyritic texture. Extrusive rocks have a fine-grained or glassy texture.
The mineral composition of igneous rocks is what different minerals form each rock. The silica content of magma and lava affects how easily the magma or lava will flow. Lava that has a low silica content, usually forms dark-colored rocks, such as basalt. Magma that has a high silica content, usually forms light-colored rocks, such as granite, which comes in many shades and colors.
The mineral composition of igneous rocks is what different minerals form each rock. The silica content of magma and lava affects how easily the magma or lava will flow. Lava that has a low silica content, usually forms dark-colored rocks, such as basalt. Magma that has a high silica content, usually forms light-colored rocks, such as granite, which comes in many shades and colors.
http://www.beg.utexas.edu/mainweb/publications/graphics/granite.htm
This is a link to the website where this picture came from. This is a picture of granite. Granite is usually light-colored like in this picture. The magma this granite formed from probably had a high silica content. |
http://geology.com/rocks/basalt.shtml
This is a link to this picture's website. This picture of basalt shows that the lava it formed from probably had a low silica content, since the rock is black. |
The Many Uses of Igneous Rocks
Many igneous rocks are hard, dense, and durable. This is why igneous rocks are so useful as tools and as building material. Ancient Native Americans used obsidian for making sharp tools for cutting and scraping. Ancient Egyptians used granite for statues. The Incas of Peru built a fortress near their capitol city, Cuzco, out of big blocks of granite and other igneous rocks. Granite was used to build bridges, public buildings, and to pave streets with cobblestones in the U.S. during the 1800s and the early 1900s. Thin, polished sheets of granite are still used today in decorative stonework, curbstones, and floors. Basalt is crushed to make gravel that is used in construction. Pumice's rough surface is a good abrasive for cleaning and polishing. Perlite formed from the heating of obsidian is usually mixed with soil to help start the growing of vegetable seeds.
Many igneous rocks are hard, dense, and durable. This is why igneous rocks are so useful as tools and as building material. Ancient Native Americans used obsidian for making sharp tools for cutting and scraping. Ancient Egyptians used granite for statues. The Incas of Peru built a fortress near their capitol city, Cuzco, out of big blocks of granite and other igneous rocks. Granite was used to build bridges, public buildings, and to pave streets with cobblestones in the U.S. during the 1800s and the early 1900s. Thin, polished sheets of granite are still used today in decorative stonework, curbstones, and floors. Basalt is crushed to make gravel that is used in construction. Pumice's rough surface is a good abrasive for cleaning and polishing. Perlite formed from the heating of obsidian is usually mixed with soil to help start the growing of vegetable seeds.
http://funkystock.photoshelter.com/image/I0000uy57pR79j1k
This is a link to the website this picture came from. It is a picture of an Ancient Egyptian granite sculpture of Pharoah Sobekhotep V, kneeling with an ointment vessel. |
http://vaish143.blogspot.com/2012/06/granite-city.html
This is a link to this picture's website. This is a picture of Dunnottor Castle in Stonehaven. It is in Scotland and it's made of granite. |
Sedimentary Rocks
This is a picture of a piece of sandstone, a kind of sedimentary rock. This picture came from the website from the link. Click the link to find out more about sandstone, and other sedimentary rocks: http://joberts11.wikis.birmingham.k12.mi.us/Landry's+sedimentary+rocks
The "Sediment to Rock" Process
Sedimentary rocks are rocks that form from particles that are deposited from water and wind. Sediment is tiny, solid particles of material from rocks or living things. Heat, cold, rain, waves, and grinding ice are all forces on Earth that break up or wear away rocks on the Earth's surface. There is a process to the formation of sedimentary rocks. First, running water and wind carry away pieces of rock, which is sediment, in erosion. Shells, bones, leaves, stems, and other pieces of living things can also be found in sediment.
Then, the running water or wind slows down and deposits the sediment in deposition.
When the sediment first settles down, it is loosely packed, but over millions of years, thick layers of sediment will build up. The layers are heavy and continuously press down on the layers beneath them. This is when compaction occurs. Compaction is the process that presses sediment together. New layers continue to fall on top of old layers for many, many years. The weight of all the layers compacts the sediment even more and tightly squeezes them together. You can usually see the layers in the sedimentary rock, like in the image above.
Lastly, while compaction is occurring, minerals in the rock slowly dissolve in water and seep between particles of rock. This is called cementation. Cementation is when dissolved minerals crystallize and glue pieces of sediment together. It usually takes millions of years for compaction and cementation to form solid sedimentary rock out of loose sediments.
Sedimentary rocks are rocks that form from particles that are deposited from water and wind. Sediment is tiny, solid particles of material from rocks or living things. Heat, cold, rain, waves, and grinding ice are all forces on Earth that break up or wear away rocks on the Earth's surface. There is a process to the formation of sedimentary rocks. First, running water and wind carry away pieces of rock, which is sediment, in erosion. Shells, bones, leaves, stems, and other pieces of living things can also be found in sediment.
Then, the running water or wind slows down and deposits the sediment in deposition.
When the sediment first settles down, it is loosely packed, but over millions of years, thick layers of sediment will build up. The layers are heavy and continuously press down on the layers beneath them. This is when compaction occurs. Compaction is the process that presses sediment together. New layers continue to fall on top of old layers for many, many years. The weight of all the layers compacts the sediment even more and tightly squeezes them together. You can usually see the layers in the sedimentary rock, like in the image above.
Lastly, while compaction is occurring, minerals in the rock slowly dissolve in water and seep between particles of rock. This is called cementation. Cementation is when dissolved minerals crystallize and glue pieces of sediment together. It usually takes millions of years for compaction and cementation to form solid sedimentary rock out of loose sediments.
This is a picture of "The Making of Sedimentary Rocks". It starts with erosion and weathering. Then comes transport and deposition. (compaction should be next, but this diagram has a different opinion) Lastly, cementation creates the rocks that we see at beaches, and sometimes, museums and stores! This is a link to the website that this picture came from. http://education.usgs.gov/lessons/schoolyard/RockSedimentary.html
Types of Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary rocks are classified based on the type of sediments that make up each rock. There are three major groups of sedimentary rocks: clastic rocks, organic rocks, and chemical rocks. There are different processes that form each of these kinds of sedimentary rock.
Clastic Rocks
Clastic Rocks are sedimentary rocks that form when rock fragments are squeezed together. The fragment size can range from being too tiny to see without a microscope, to being too heavy to lift. Clastic rocks are grouped by the size of the rock fragments they are each made of. Shale is a common clastic rock. Shale forms when clay particles are deposited by water in thin, flat layers on top of one another. Cementation isn't needed to glue the clay particles together, which is convenient, since the spaces between the shale's particles are so small that water can't even pass through. Shale feels smooth and splits easily into flat pieces.
Sedimentary rocks are classified based on the type of sediments that make up each rock. There are three major groups of sedimentary rocks: clastic rocks, organic rocks, and chemical rocks. There are different processes that form each of these kinds of sedimentary rock.
Clastic Rocks
Clastic Rocks are sedimentary rocks that form when rock fragments are squeezed together. The fragment size can range from being too tiny to see without a microscope, to being too heavy to lift. Clastic rocks are grouped by the size of the rock fragments they are each made of. Shale is a common clastic rock. Shale forms when clay particles are deposited by water in thin, flat layers on top of one another. Cementation isn't needed to glue the clay particles together, which is convenient, since the spaces between the shale's particles are so small that water can't even pass through. Shale feels smooth and splits easily into flat pieces.
http://geology.com/rocks/shale.shtml
This is a picture of shale that came from this link.
This picture shows a piece of shale with a smooth
surface.
This is a picture of shale that came from this link.
This picture shows a piece of shale with a smooth
surface.
Sandstone forms from the sand on beaches, on the ocean floor, in riverbeds, and in sand dunes. Sandstone is a clastic rock that forms from the compaction and cementation of tiny particles of sand. Most of the sand particles have quartz. The cementation process doesn't fill all the spaces between grains of sand, so sandstone contains many small holes, which is why it can easily absorb water through these holes.
http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Nevada/Rock_sandstone.html
This is a link to the website this picture came from.
It's a picture of a piece of sandstone.
This is a link to the website this picture came from.
It's a picture of a piece of sandstone.
Some sedimentary rocks have a mixture of rock fragments of different sizes. The fragments can range in size from small pebbles to large boulders. Fragments with roundish edges form a clastic rock called conglomerate. Fragments that are large with sharp edges, form breccia.
http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00461/conglomerate.htm
This is a picture of conglomerate from the website from the link above. Most of the colorful fragments have a roundish shape. |
http://geology.com/rocks/breccia.shtml
This is a picture of breccia from the website from the link. All of the fragments are large and have jagged edges. |
Organic Rocks
Organic rocks form when the deposited remains of plants and animals are deposited in thick layers. "Organic" refers to things that are part or made of living things. Two important organic sedimentary rocks are coal and limestone. Coal forms from remains of swamp plants buried in water. Layers and layers of plant remains build up and the weight of the layers squeezes the decaying plants. They slowly change into coal after millions of years.
Limestone forms from the hard shells of living things. In the ocean, coral, clams, oysters, and snails all have shells or skeletons made out of calcite. Their shells pile up on the ocean floor when these animals die. The layers of sediment can grow to a depth of hundreds of meters over millions of years. The pressure of above layers, slowly compacts the sediment. Some shells dissolve, forming a calcite solution that seeps into the spaces between the shell fragments. The dissolved material, later comes out of the solution, forming calcite. Then, the calcite glues the shell particles together and it forms limestone. Chalk is a kind of limestone, which forms from sediments made of the skeletons of super tiny living things found in oceans.
Limestone forms from the hard shells of living things. In the ocean, coral, clams, oysters, and snails all have shells or skeletons made out of calcite. Their shells pile up on the ocean floor when these animals die. The layers of sediment can grow to a depth of hundreds of meters over millions of years. The pressure of above layers, slowly compacts the sediment. Some shells dissolve, forming a calcite solution that seeps into the spaces between the shell fragments. The dissolved material, later comes out of the solution, forming calcite. Then, the calcite glues the shell particles together and it forms limestone. Chalk is a kind of limestone, which forms from sediments made of the skeletons of super tiny living things found in oceans.
http://www.dnr.mo.gov/geology/geosrv/imac/limestone.htm
This picture of organic limestone is from the website from the link. It was formed from calcite. |
http://www.mine-engineer.com/mining/mineral/Coal.htm
This is a picture of coal from the website from the link above. |
Chemical Rocks
Chemical rocks form when minerals that dissolved in a solution, crystallize. Limestone can also form when calcite that's dissolved in lakes, seas, or underground water comes out of solution and then forms crystals. This kind of limestone is a chemical rock. Mineral deposits left from the evaporation of seas or lakes can also form chemical rocks. Rock salt is a chemical rock, made of the mineral, halite, which forms from evaporation. Another kind of chemical rock formed by evaporation is gypsum. Large rock deposits formed by evaporation are only formed in dry climates.
http://www.dnr.mo.gov/geology/geosrv/imac/limestone.htm
This is a picture of chemical limestone from the link above. |
http://geology.com/rocks/rock-salt.shtml
This is a picture of rock salt from the website from the link above. |
http://geology.com/minerals/gypsum.shtml
This is a picture of gypsum from the website from the link above. It can only form in dry climates. |
The Uses for Sedimentary Rocks
People have used sandstone and limestone as building materials for thousands of years. Both are soft enough to be cut into blocks or slabs. The White House in Washington D.C., is built out of sandstone. Sandstone and limestone are used by builders today, for decorating or covering the outside walls of buildings. Limestone has many industrial uses. It's important in smelting iron ore.
Metamorphic Rocks
This is a picture of a piece of slate, a type of metamorphic rock. This picture came from the website from the link. Click the link to find out more about slate, and other metamorphic rocks: http://www.oldearth.org/curriculum/geology/geology_chapter_7.htm
The Metamorphic Rock Formation
Metamorphic rocks are rocks that form from other rocks. The word "metamorphic" comes from the Greek words "meta",meaning "change", and "morphosis" meaning "form". When heat and pressure beneath the Earth's surface change any rock, a metamorphic rock is formed. When a rock changes into a metamorphic rock, it's texture. appearance, crystal structure, and mineral content change. Metamorphic rocks can form out of sedimentary, igneous, or other metamorphic rocks. Collisions between the Earth's plates can push rocks down toward the hot mantle. Pockets of magma rising through the crust can also provide heat that transforms metamorphic rocks. The deeper a rock is buried in the crust, the more pressure will be put on it. Under pressure hundreds or thousands of times greater than on the Earth's surface, the minerals in a rock can change. This rock, has become a metamorphic rock.
This is a picture of the metamorphic rock formation process. The heat and pressure combined with the heat from the hot magma will transform a rock into a metamorphic rock. This diagram came from the website from this link: http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/geology/meta_intro.html
Classification of Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic rocks are classified based on the grains that make up the rock. Foliated rocks are metamorphic rocks that have grains that have a pattern of bands or layers. "Foliated" comes from the Latin word for "leaf". A common foliated rock is slate, which is shown above. Sometimes, metamorphic rocks are nonfoliated, which means that their grains are arranged randomly. Marble and quartzite both have nonfoliated textures.
http://geology.com/rocks/slate.shtml
This picture of slate is from the website from the link. Slate is a foliated rock. |
http://www.minimegeology.com/home/mgeo/page_73
This picture of marble came from the website from the link above. Marble is a nonfoliated metamorphic rock. |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartzite
This picture of quartzite is from the website from the link. Quartzite is a nonfoliated metamorphic rock. |
The Uses for Metamorphic Rocks
Marble and slate are two of the most useful metamorphic rocks. Marble is easy to cut into slabs because of its fine, even grains. Marble can also be easily polished. It is used by architects for many buildings and statues. The Taj Mahal in Agra, India is made of gleaming, white marble. Slate can be used for flooring, roofing, outdoor walkways, or chalkboards because it splits easily into flat pieces. It can also be used as trim for stone buildings because it can come in a variety of colors, including gray, black, red, and purple.
This picture came from this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble
This is a picture of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. It's made of marble. |
http://garoofingandrepair.com/slate-roofing/
This picture came from the website from the link. This is a picture of a house with a roof made from slate. |
This concludes S.A.L. Inc.'s presentation of: "The Rockin' Rock Cycle!" We hoped you enjoyed it!!!!!!!