The Rock Cycle

Front

What is the rock cycle?

Back

Earth’s recycling process where igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks change into and form one another.

Front

What are igneous rocks?

Back

Rocks that are formed from cooled magma, often very hard or porous, containing minerals in the form of crystals.

Front

What are sedimentary rocks?

Back

Rocks formed from material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers, which are squeezed or cemented together and may contain fossils.

Front

What are metamorphic rocks?

Back

Rocks that have been transformed from igneous or sedimentary rocks through heat, pressure, or chemical processes.

Front

What is burial and compaction?

Back

The process where layers of sediment are piled on top of each other, causing the weight to squash down the sediment grains.

Front

What is melting and cooling in the rock cycle?

Back

The processes that turn any rock into magma and then solidify the magma back into rock under the right conditions.

Front

What is deposition?

Back

The process by which sediment is laid down in new locations, often by water, wind, or ice.

Front

What is uplift?

Back

The process that raises rocks and sediments to higher elevations, often exposing them to weathering and erosion.

Front

What is weathering?

Back

The breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces by natural forces such as wind, water, and temperature changes.

Front

What is erosion?

Back

The process by which weathered rock and soil are moved from one location to another by wind, water, or ice.