The Rock cycle Flashcards
Give the steps for the rock cycle
Weathering - breaking down rocks into smaller bits by Onion skin weathering or freeze-thaw weathering
Erosion - Wearing down of rocks
Transportation - moving eroded bits of rock round the world by water and wind
Deposition - laying down of sediment
Burial/compression/cementation- squeezing and compressing layers - forming sedimentary rocks
Heat/pressure - further squashing and heating - turns into metamorphic rocks
Melting - intense heating makes rock partially melt - changes into magma
cooling - solidification of the molten rock - forms igneous rock
Exposure - back to weathering and erosion
What are the two types of weathering and their purpose?
Onion skin weathering - When the sun warms the surface of the rock and at night it cools down. Causes surface to expand and contract, it eventually breaks away
Freeze thaw weathering - water freezes, and expands. after freezing and thawing many times bits break off
