Three Types of Rocks

Igneous Rock Sedimentary Rock

How Igneous Rocks Formed?

Igneous rocks are formed when melted rock cools
and solidifies. Melted rock may come in the form
of magma, when it is found underneath the Earth’s
surface. It can also come in the form of lava, when
it is released unto the Earth’s surface during a volcanic
eruption. Some examples of igneous rocks are granite,
scoria, pumice, and obsidian.

How Are Sedimentary Rocks Formed?

Sedimentary rocks start forming when soil and other
materials on the Earth’s surface are eroded and finally
settle down, forming one layer of sediments. As time
passes, more and more materials get eroded and settle
on the older layers. Thus, layer upon layer is formed.
The lower layers undergo intense pressure due to the
weight of the upper layers, eventually evolving into rocks.

Some examples of sedimentary rocks are

sandstone, limestone, shale, conglomerate,
and gypsum. Sandstone, for instance, is a
result of depositions of sand from beaches
and rivers. You can find them mostly in deltas,
since this is where the rivers flow into the ocean.

Metamorphic Rock

HOW ROCKS ARE FORMED?

How Are Metamorphic Rocks Formed?
To metamorphose or simply to morph means ‘to
change in form’. Metamorphic rocks are actually
products of rocks that have undergone changes.
Thus, a metamorphic rock may have originally been
an igneous, sedimentary, or even another metamorphic
rock. The changes occur when the original rocks are
subjected to extreme heat and pressure beneath the
Earth’s surface.

They may also occur when the original rocks are

caught in the middle of two colliding tectonic boundaries.
Some examples of metamorphic rocks are marble, slate,
schist and gneiss. Marble, for instance is the result of
the metamorphism of limestone and dolostone. When
limestone metamorphoses, its calcite grains grow and
interlock with one another. As such, marble is denser
and harder compared to limestone.

The Rock Cycle

The rock cycle is a concept used to explain how the three basic rock types are
related and how Earth processes, over geologic time, change a rock from one
type into another. Plate tectonic activity, along with weathering and erosional
processes, are responsible for the continued recycling of rocks.

Magma Cooling Igneous Rock

Weathering and erosion Weathering and erosion

Sediment Compaction and cementation

Sedimentary Rock Heat and pressure Heat and pressure

Metamorphic Rock Melting Melting