The Rock Cycle

2 Pages 576 Words

The continuous cycle of rocks within the interior of the earth and on the earth’s surface is known as the rock cycle. Geologists have recognized three different types of rocks that constantly change from one form to another through a number of different processes. One such rock is the igneous rock, which is created from the cooling and solidification of molten material brought to or near the earth’s surface. Sedimentary rocks are an aggregate of pre-existing rocks or sediment, or of once living organisms compacted together. Lastly, metamorphic rocks are the result of increased temperature and pressure conditions within the earth’s surface. Together these processes make up the framework for the rock cycle that geologist use to explain the interconnecting relationship from one process to another.
Igneous rocks are the most abundant rock within the earth’s crust. They originate from the molten lava or magma that has cooled and crystallized into a solid form. When the lava is expelled from volcanoes during an eruption, or solidifies from underground magma, the rocks produced are diverse in texture, size, and composition. The texture of the rock is influenced by the cooling rate, but the vast range in size and composition of the rocks, on the other hand, are due largely to magmatic differentiation when partial melting, and fractional crystallization can occur.
After these rocks solidify, those that are exposed at the Earth’s surface are vulnerable to a variety of risks, including weathering. When these rocks become exposed, they are subjected to several transport mechanisms such as wind, ice, water, or gravity. As they break down to form sediment, they become deposited at sites where they may become layered in bedding according to their grain size.
It is at these sites of deposition where sedimentary rocks are created. Sedimentary rocks are formed from the layers of fragmented rocks, and deposited mineral mater...