Rock Cycle Vocabulary Flashcards
Rock
A solid made up of many different minerals
Sedimentary Rocks
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 Rocks
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
Cementation
The hardening and sticking of mineral grains
Molten
Liquefied heat
Magma
A hot, molten rock below the Earth’s surface
Lava
Molten rock that erupts from a volcano; also the solid rock that forms when molten rock cools above the Earth’s surface
Deposition
When sediments are deposited or dropped off in a different location