EARTH SCIENCE – ROCKS
ROCKS
is a naturally occurring solid
mixture of one or more minerals, or
organic matter
are classified by how they are
formed, their composition, and
texture
change over time through the rock
cycle
IGNEOUS ROCK
Intrusive Igneous Rocks:
this rock begins as magma o magma pushes into
Magma can form: surrounding rock below the
o when rock is heated Earth’s surface, cools slowly
o when pressure is released with larger crystal formation
o when rock changes o cooling takes place slowly
composition beneath Earth’s surface
Magma “freezes” between 700 °C Extrusive Rocks:
and 1,250 °C o forms when magma erupts
Magma is a mixture of many onto the Earth’s surface
minerals (lava), cools quickly with very
small or no crystals formed
Types of Igneous Rocks
o cooling takes place rapidly on
Felsic: light colored rocks that are Earth’s surface
rich in elements such as aluminum,
potassium, silicon, and sodium
Mafic: dark colored rocks that are Obsidian is a dark-colored volcanic glass
rich in calcium, iron, and that forms from the very rapid cooling of
magnesium, poor in silicon molten rock material. It cools so rapidly
Coarse-grained: takes longer to that crystals do not form.
cool, giving mineral crystals more
time to grow
Fine-grained: cools quickly with
little to no crystals
Tristan Angelo R. Nabong STEM 11-Alpha
This rock is Mafic, fine grained, and
extrusive.
Chemical sedimentary – minerals
crystallize out of solution to become rock
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
is formed by erosion
are moved from one place to
another
are formed at or near the Earth’s
surface
No heat and pressure involved
are deposited in layers, with the Limestone is a sedimentary rock
older ones on the bottom composed primarily of calcium carbonate
layers become compacted and (CaCO3) in the form of the mineral
cemented together calcite. It most commonly forms in clear,
forms from the compaction and/or warm, shallow marine waters.
cementation of sediments
It is usually an organic sedimentary rock
This process is called
that forms from the accumulation of
LITHIFICATION
shell, coral, algal and fecal debris
Strata – layers of rock
STRATIFICATION – the process in
which sedimentary rocks are
Organic sedimentary – remains of plants
arranged in layers
and animals
Sediments are:
o rock pieces
o mineral grains
o shell fragments
Clastic – made of fragments of rock
cemented together with calcite or quartz
Coal is an organic sedimentary rock that
forms from the accumulation and
preservation of plant materials, usually in
a swamp environment.
Coal is a combustible rock and along with
oil and natural gas it is one of the three
Breccia is a term most often used for most important fossil fuels.
clastic sedimentary rocks that are
composed of large angular fragments
(over two millimeters in diameter).
The spaces between the large angular
fragments can be filled with a matrix of
smaller particles or a mineral cement
that binds the rock together.
METAMORPHIC ROCK Gneiss is foliated metamorphic rock that
has a banded appearance and is made
Meaning to change shape
up of granular mineral grains.
Changes with temperature and
pressure, but remains solid It typically contains abundant quartz or
Usually takes place deep in the feldspar minerals.
Earth
CONTACT METAMORPHISM –
heated by nearby magma Non-Foliated – mineral grains are
Increased temperature changes the not arranged in plains or bands
composition of the rock, minerals
are changed into new minerals
Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic
rock that is produced from the
metamorphism of limestone.
Hornfels is a fine-grained non-foliated
metamorphic rock produced by contact It is composed primarily of calcium
metamorphism. carbonate.
REGIONAL METAMORPHISM – THE ROCK CYCLE
pressure builds up in rocks that is
deep within the Earth
Large pieces of the Earth’s crust
collide and the rock is deformed
and chemically changed by heat
and pressure
Foliated - contain aligned grains of
flat minerals
The rock cycle is an ongoing series
of processes inside Earth and on
the surface
Slowly changes rocks from one
kind to another
Any type of rock can change into
another type
How does this relate to plate
tectonics?
Plate movement drives the rock
cycle
Subduction (1 plate pushed
under another plate)
Re-melts rock into
magma
Mountain building
Folding, faulting, uplift
Exposes rock at the
surface to be
weathered and eroded