rock cycle Flashcards
compaction and cementation
Compaction is when deposited sediments are smooshed together by the weight of water and other sediment that has settled on top of it. Cementation is when the sediments are glued together by the minerals that come out of supersaturated water.
sediment
Sediment is solid material that is moved and deposited in a new location
magma
molten rock deep underground
lava
molten rock ejected from volcanoes in the form of a liquid
rock cycle
The rock cycle describes the processes through which the three main rock types (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary) transform from one type into another
weathering
Weathering is the wearing down or breaking of rocks while they are in place
erosion
Erosion is the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water
deposition
Deposition is when those sediments are deposited, or dropped off, in a different location
melting
substance changes from solid to a liquid
crystallization
Crystallization refers to the solidification of a liquid substance into a highly structured solid
igneous rock
formed from the cooling and solidification of molten (melted) rock
extrusive igneous rock
produced when magma exits and cools above (or very near) the Earth’s surface
intrusive igneous rock
forms when magma is trapped deep inside the Earth
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are formed from pre-existing rocks or pieces of once-living organisms
law of superposition
The oldest rock strata will be on the bottom and the youngest at the top.
metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rocks started out as some other type of rock, but have been substantially changed from their original igneous, sedimentary, or earlier metamorphic form
