Rocks Flashcards
What is the rock cycle?
The continuous process that turns one rock into another
What is a rock
A mixture of minerals and possibly organic material
How are rocks classified
By their composition and texture along with the process that forms them
How are igneous rocks formed?
Magma or lava cooling
Intrusive igneous rocks
Cool inside the earth
Extrusive igneous rocks
Cool on the surface of the earth
How are sedimentary rocks formed?
From weathering, erosion, deposition, compaction, and cementation
3 classes of sedimentary rocks?
1- clastic
2- chemical
3- organic
How are metamorphic rocks formed?
From heat, pressure, and chemical reactions
What are 2 classes of metamorphic rocks?
- Foliated
2. Unfoliated
What is weathering
Breaking down of rocks
Chemical weathering
Changes chemical properties of the rock
Mechanical weathering
Breaks rocks down into smaller pieces
What is erosion
The transportation of rock sediments
5 agents of erosion
1- wind 2- running water 3- glaciers 4- waves 5- gravity
What is deposition
Where the rock sediments get laid to rest
Contact metamorphism
Happens when rocks come in close quarters to magma plumes
Regional metamorphism
Occurs in greater areas deep in the earth’s crest
Mafic rocks
Darker, heavier, denser
Felsic
Lighter in color, lighter, less dense
