Rock Cycle Vocabulary Flashcards
The breaking down of Earth’s materials by natural processes (water, wind, ice, chemicals, etc.) into smaller pieces or sediments
Weathering
Weathered rock and soil particles are moved
from place to place by water, wind, or ice
Erosion
Weathered sediments are laid down in a new
location helping create new landforms or rocks
Deposition
Caused by heat and pressure around the rock
to form magma
Melting
Magma or lava cools and hardens
Solidification
Through heat and pressure, the rock’s atoms
and crystals are rearranged
Recrystallization
Formed from the cooling and solidification of
magma or lava
Igneous Rock
Formed above ground from lava cooling and hardening • Characteristics from Cooling Quickly – Small or no crystals – Fine-grained texture
Extrusive Igneous Rock
Formed below ground from magma cooling and hardening • Characteristics from Cooling Slowly – Large or small crystals – Coarse-grained texture
Intrusive Igneous Rock
Formed from sediments (rock fragments,
mineral grains, animal or plant remains) that
are pressed or cemented together
Sedimentary Rock
• States that layers and fossils on top are younger than lower layers • Strata – horizontal layers formed from deposited sedimentary rock • Stratification – process of arranging sedimentary rocks into layers
Law of Superposition
Rock changes due to intense heat and high
pressure then recrystallizes
– Not heated enough to melt the rock
Metamorphic Rock
What are the two types of Igneous Rock?
– Extrusive Igneous Rock
– Intrusive Igneous Rock
What are the three types of Sedimentary Rock
– Clastic Sedimentary Rock
– Organic Sedimentary Rock
– Chemical Sedimentary Rock
What are the two types of metamorphic rock?
– Foliated Metamorphic Rock
– Non-Foliated Metamorphic Rock
