ROCKS Flashcards
Where can igneous rocks be found?
The Wicklow,Dublin,Blackstairs Mountains (The Leinster Batholith)
The Antrim Derry Plateau, Co.Antrim
Where can sedimentary rocks be found?
Macgillycuddy’s Reeks in Co.Kerry
Munster Ridge Valley
The Burren, Co.Clare
Where can metamorphic rocks be found?
Rathlin Island
Connemara
Kilkenny
Cork
Mount Errigal, Co.Donegal
Name two igneous rocks
Granite and Basalt
Name two sedimentary rocks
Limestone and Sandstone
Name two metamorphic rocks
Marble and Quartzite
Explain briefly what is meant by the term lithification
The process that turns sediments into solid rock. Compaction and cementation are part of this process.
Explain briefly what is meant by the term plutonic rock.
A rock that forms when magma cools inside the Earth’s crust. An example of a plutonic rock is granite.
Explain briefly how rocks are changed by either thermal metamorphism or regional
metamorphism.
- Magma intrudes the Earth’s crust through cracks in the crust, causing the surrounding layers of sedimentary rock to cook. This causes physical and chemical changes in the rock.
- This occurs over a wide area due to intense heat and pressure. Friction between the colliding plates generates a huge amount of heat that changes the physical and chemical properties of a rock.
Briefly explain extrusive/ volcanic rocks.
Form when lava cools on the surface. An example of a extrusive rock is basalt.
Briefly explain organic rocks.
Formed from fossils of living things, for example plants, animals or sea creatures. An example of an organic rock is limestone.
Briefly explain inorganic rocks.
Formed from the broken-down fragments of other rocks. An example of an inorganic rock is sandstone.
Briefly explain carbonation.
The dissolving of limestone rock through its reaction to carbonic acid. Carbonation occurs when limestone is dissolved by acid rain.
Briefly explain weathering.
The breaking down of rock into smaller pieces. This can happen due to rainwater or temperature change.
Briefly explain erosion.
The breaking down and removal of rock. This can happen by water, ice or wind.
