The Rock Cycle

The rock cycle is a series of processes that create and transform the types of rocks in Earth’s crust.

There are three main types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. Each of these rocks are formed by
physical changes—such as melting, cooling, eroding, compacting, or deforming—that are part of the rock cycle.
1. Sedimentary Rocks
 Sedimentary rocks arise from fragments of other rocks or organic material. Sedimentary rocks are classified into
three types: clastic, organic (biological), and chemical. Clastic sedimentary rocks, such as sandstone, are formed
from clasts, or rock fragments. Organic sedimentary rocks, such as coal, are formed by the compression of hard,
biological materials such as plants, shells, and bones.
 The weathering, or breaking down, of exposed rock into tiny pieces is the first step in the formation of clastic and
organic rocks. These fragments are removed from their source and transported to a new location by wind, water,
ice, or biological activity. When enough sediment settles somewhere and accumulates, the bottom layers become
compacted so tightly that they form solid rock.\
 Chemical precipitation is the formation of chemical sedimentary rocks such as limestone, halite, and flint. A
chemical precipitate is a chemical compound—for example, calcium carbonate, salt, and silica—that forms when
the solution it is dissolved in, usually water, evaporates and leaves the compound behind. This occurs as water
travels through Earth's crust, weathering the rock and dissolving some of its minerals and transporting them
elsewhere.
2. Metamorphic Rocks
 Metamorphic rocks are rocks that were altered from their original state by extreme heat or pressure. There are two
types of metamorphic rocks: foliated and nonfoliated.
a. When a rock in flat or elongated minerals is exposed to extreme pressure, minerals align in layers, resulting in
foliation. Foliation is the alignment of elongated or platy minerals, such as hornblende or mica, perpendicular
to the direction of applied pressure. Granite, an igneous rock, is an example of this transformation. Granite is
made up of long and platy minerals that are not initially aligned, but when enough pressure is applied, those
 minerals shift to all point in the same direction while being squeezed into flat sheets. When granite is
subjected to this process, such as at a tectonic plate boundary, it transforms into gneiss.
b. Nonfoliated rocks form in a similar way as foliated rocks, but they lack the minerals that tend to line up under
pressure and thus lack the layered appearance of foliated rocks. Given enough heat and pressure, sedimentary
rocks such as bituminous coal, limestone, and sandstone can transform into nonfoliated metamorphic rocks
such as anthracite coal, marble, and quartzite. Nonfoliated rocks can also form as a result of metamorphism,
which occurs when magma collides with the surrounding rock.
3. Igneous Rocks
 When molten hot material cools and solidifies, it forms igneous rocks (derived from the Latin word for fire).
Igneous rocks can also be formed in a variety of ways. When they form inside the earth, they are referred to as
intrusive or plutonic igneous rocks. Extrusive, or volcanic, igneous rocks are those that form outside or on top of
the Earth's crust.
 Common intrusive rocks include granite and diorite. They have a coarse texture with large mineral grains,
indicating that they cooled down inside the earth for thousands or millions of years, allowing large mineral
crystals to form.
 Basalt and obsidian, on the other hand, have very small grains and a fine texture. This occurs because when
magma erupts into lava, it cools faster than if it remained inside the earth, giving crystals less time to form. When
ejected, obsidian cools so quickly into volcanic glass that the grains are invisible to the naked eye.
 Extrusive igneous rocks may have a vesicular, or "holey" texture. This occurs when the ejected magma still
contains gases, and as it cools, the gas bubbles become trapped, giving the rock a bubbly texture. Pumice is an
example of this.
Reference: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/rock-cycle/