Rock Cycle Vocab Words Flashcards
Rock
A solid made up of many different minerals
Sedimentary Rock
Rocks that have been formed through the deposition of and solidification of sediment
Igneous Rock
Formed by a volcano or the solidification of molten rock
Metamorphic Rock
Formed by extreme heat or pressure that changes the structure of rock
Rock Cycle
The process in which rocks are continuously transformed between the 3 rock types
Sediment
Mineral or organic matter carried and deposited by water or wind that may consolidate into rock
Weathering
To age or change rock as a result of being exposed to the elements: wind, ice, water, and extreme temperature
Erosion
The movement of small pieces of rock or sediment due to wind, water, gravity, and other natural forces
Deposition
When sediments are deposited or dropped off in a different location
Cementation
The hardening and sticking of mineral grains
Molten
Liquified by heat
Magma
A hot, molten rock below the Earth’s surface
Lava
Molten rocks that erupts from a volcano: also the solid rock that forms when molten rock cools above the Earth’s surface