Earth and Space Science / Unit 2: Minerals and Rocks
2.7 The Rock Cycle
Notes
The rock cycle shows how rocks change from one type to another over long periods. Any rock can become any other type.
- Weathering and erosion turn rock into sediment; lithification makes sedimentary rock.
- Heat and pressure make metamorphic rock.
- Melting makes magma; cooling and crystallization make igneous rock.
- The cycle is driven by the Sun and weather at the surface and by Earth's internal heat.
- Example: granite is uplifted, weathered to sand, cemented into sandstone, then metamorphosed to quartzite.
Practice
Sedimentary rock that is buried deep, heated and squeezed (no melting) becomes:
Heat and pressure without melting yield metamorphic rock.
Which process is needed to change any rock into igneous rock?
Igneous rock forms from solidifying magma or lava.
Which statement about the rock cycle is correct?
The cycle has many shortcuts and takes very long.
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