The rock cycle describes how rocks are formed from magma or other existing rocks and changed over time through geological processes. Igneous rocks form from cooling magma, metamorphic rocks form under heat and pressure, and sedimentary rocks form through the weathering of other rocks and deposition of sediments. Rocks are constantly changing between these three types as they move through the rock cycle.

1. Rocks & the Rock Cycle

2. Formed when magma, or molten rock cools and hardensIgneous

3. Formed as a result of tremendous pressure, extreme heat, and chemical processesMetamorphic

4. Erosion breaks down all types of rocks into small fragments which form deposits which are compressed and cemented togetherSedimentary

5. The series of processes in which rock forms, changes from one type to another, is destroyed, and forms again by geologic processesRock Cycle

6. Igneous rocks can be identified by the size of crystals that are present as a result of the cooling process of melted mineralsA. Coarse Grained – large minerals suggest a slower cooling processB. Fine Grained – small grains, unseen by the eye suggest a quicker cooling processC. Glassy – when magma with very little gases in it cools very quicklyD. Vesicular – when magma with a lot of gases cools very quicklyIgneous Rocks

7. Coarse vs. Fine GrainGraniteBasalt

8. Glassy vs. VesicularObsidianScoria

9. The formation of crystals during the cooling processCrystallization

10. Loose fragments of rock, minerals, and organic material that result from natural processes, including the physical breakdown of rockSediment

11. The physical processes of breakdown of rock into sediment by natural conditions such as rain, wind, etc.Weather & Erosion

12. The settling of sediment into layers as weathering and erosion endsDeposition

13. Process in which the volume and porosity of a sediment is decreased by the weight of overlying layers of sedimentCompaction

14. Process in which minerals precipitate spaces between sediments and bind them together to form rocksCementation

15. The resultant bonding that can be seen in rock faces of various types of sedimentary rocksStratification

16. The process in which one type of rock changes into metamorphic rock because of chemical processes or changes into metamorphic rock because of chemical processes or change in temperature and pressureCan be due to just contact with magma or due to large scale change in temperature and pressure over a large areaMetamorphism

17. The metamorphic rock texture in which grains are arranged in planes or bandsFoliation