Chapter 4

Rocks

The Rock Cycle

H.W. pg. 93 ques. 1-4

A rock is a mixture of
minerals, rock
fragments, volcanic
glass, organic matter,
and other natural
materials.
All rocks slowly change
through time, and the
model that we use to
show this slow change
is called the rock cycle.

Rock Cycle
As you can see the
rock cycle shows 3
different types of rock:
1)
Sedimentary
2)
Metamorphic
3)
Igneous
Also you see that all 3
types can be formed in
a number of ways.
This shows that any rock
can change into any of
the three major rock
types.

Igneous Rock
Igneous rock forms when magma cools and
hardens.
At certain within the Earth, the temperature
and pressure are just right for rocks to melt
and form magma.
Magma can be located at depths of 150km below
the Earths surface. The temperature of this
magma can range between 650- 1,200oC,
depending on their chemical compositions and
pressures exerted on them.

Igneous Rock

The reason that these rocks melt is because of heat that

is formed in the Earths interior.
The heat comes from the decay of radioactive material
inside the Earth.
Another source of this heat is actually heat that is left
over from the formation of the planet, which was
originally molten.
Since magma is less dense than the surrounding rocks
it is forced upward toward the surface, like in a
volcano.
When magma reaches the Earths surface and flows
from volcanoes it is then called lava

Igneous Rock
So magma is melted rock material composed of
common elements and fluids.
As magma cools atoms and compounds rearrange
themselves into new crystals called mineral grains.
And rocks form as these mineral grains grow
together.
So rocks that form from magma below the Earths
surface are called intrusive.
These intrusive rocks stay underground until the land
above them are removed, either by erosion of by
physical means, and exposed to the surface.

Igneous Rock

Intrusive rocks form

at deep depths of the

Earth. This causes the
rocks to cool very
slowly.
Slowly cooled magma
will then produce very
large mineral grains that
we can see, within the
intrusive rocks.

Igneous Rock

Extrusive igneous rocks

are formed by the cooling of

lava on the surface of the
Earth.
When lava cools on the
surface it could be exposed
to water and air. This
causes the lava to cool
quickly and does not allow
large mineral grains to form.
Therefore extrusive igneous
rock looks fine grained.

Metamorphic Rock

Rocks that have changed because of changes in

temperature and pressure or the presence of hot,
watery fluids are called Metamorphic Rock.
These changes can be in the form of the rock or in its
composition or both.
Metamorphic rocks can form from igneous,
sedimentary or from other metamorphic rocks.
Ex: When you add heat and pressure to granite, the
mineral grains are flattened and a metamorphic rock
called gneiss is formed.

Granite & Gneiss

How to Classify Metamorphic Rock

Metamorphic rocks can form from igneous,

sedimentary, or other metamorphic rocks
through their interaction with heat pressure
and hot fluids.
We classify these rocks by their composition
and texture.
First is Foliated rocks. A metamorphic rock
is said to have foliated texture when mineral
grains in the rock line up in parallel layers.

Metamorphic foliated rock

Two examples of
foliated rocks are slate
and gneiss.

Non Foliated metamorphic Rock

In non foliated metamorphic rock layering does not

occur. The mineral grains grow and rearrange but do
not form layers.
This produces a non foliated texture.
An example is when sandstone, a sedimentary rock
composed of mostly quartz grains, is exposed to heat
and pressure.
The quartz grains here grow in size and become
interlocking like a jigsaw puzzle.
The resulting rock is called quartzite.

Non Foliated metamorphic Rock

Sedimentary Rock

Igneous rocks are the most common rocks on Earth.

However we dont see them a lot because they are
mostly beneath the Earths surface.
75% of the rocks that are exposed at the surface are
sedimentary rocks.
Sediments are loose materials such as rock fragments,
mineral grains, and bits and pieces of shell that have
been moved by wind, water, or ice
These sediments come from already existing rock that
were weathered or eroded.
Sedimentary rock forms when these sediments are
pressed together by great pressure, or when minerals
form in solution.

Stacked Rocks

Sedimentary rocks often form in layers. The

older layers are on the bottom layers because
they were deposited first.
Sometimes these layers can be disturbed by
the forces of nature. This will sometimes
overturn the layered sedimentary rock and the
oldest will no longer be on the bottom.

Conglomerate

Test on chapter 3 in one

week!!!!!!!!!!!!!