Write a paragraph outlining the processes in the rock cycle.
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Answer:
Is this what geologists mean by the rock cycle?
Okay, very punny. The rock cycle shows how any type of rock can become any other type of rock. Some rocks may stay the same type for a long time, for example, if they're at the base of the crust, but other rocks may relatively rapidly change from one type to another.
The Rock Cycle
The rock cycle, illustrated in Figure below, depicts how the three major rock types – igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic - convert from one to another. Arrows connecting the rock types represent the processes that accomplish these changes.
Rocks change as a result of natural processes that are taking place all the time. Most changes happen very slowly. Rocks deep within the Earth are right now becoming other types of rocks. Rocks at the surface are lying in place before they are next exposed to a process that will change them. Even at the surface, we may not notice the changes. The rock cycle has no beginning or end.
The rock cycle
The Rock Cycle.
The Three Rock Types
Rocks are classified into three major groups according to how they form. These three types are described in more detail in other concepts in this chapter, but here is a summary.
Igneous rocks form from the cooling and hardening of molten magma in many different environments. The chemical composition of the magma and the rate at which it cools determine what rock forms. Igneous rocks can cool slowly beneath the surface or rapidly at the surface. These rocks are identified by their composition and texture. More than 700 different types of igneous rocks are known.
Sedimentary rocks form by the compaction and cementing together of sediments, broken pieces of rock-like gravel, sand, silt, or clay. Those sediments can be formed from the weathering and erosion of preexisting rocks. Sedimentary rocks also include chemical precipitates, the solid materials left behind after a liquid evaporates.
Metamorphic rocks form when the minerals in an existing rock are changed by heat or pressure below the surface.