AP Notes - Rock Cycle
THE ROCK CYCLE
The oldest rocks on earth are 3.8 billion years old, while other rocks are only a few million years old. This means the rocks have been recycled. The process that does this is called the rock cycle. In the rock cycle, time, pressure, and the Earth’s heat interact to create the different type of rocks. There are three categories of rock: metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary.
Metamorphic rock – this type of rock is formed as a great deal of pressure and heat is applied to rock. This can happen as sedimentary rocks sink deeper into the earth they are heated by the high temperatures of the mantle. (Slate and marble).
Check out this LINK and complete the metamorphic rock identification lab.
Check out this LINK and complete the metamorphic rock identification lab.
Igneous rock – this type of rock results when rock is melted (by heat and pressure below the crust) into a liquid and the re-solidifies. The molten rock (magma) comes to the surface of the earth, and when it emerges it is called lava. Solid lava is igneous rock. (granite and basalt).
Check out this LINK and complete the igneous rock identification lab.
Check out this LINK and complete the igneous rock identification lab.
Sedimentary rocks– these rocks are formed as sediment (eroded rocks and the remains of plants and animals) builds up and is compressed. Sedimentary rocks (sandstone, shale, and limestone) have been formed by weathering, compaction and cementation (diatoms, weathered chemical precipitates) over time.
Check out this LINK and complete the sedimentary rock identification lab.
Check out this LINK and complete the sedimentary rock identification lab.
At this Point - Proceed to the next topic: Geology - Soil Formation