Rock Cycle

Unit 2: Geology

How are rocks useful to

people?

Characteristics of Minerals and

Rocks
MINERALS

ROCKS

Pure (made of same substance)

more than one mineral

some have crystals

not single crystals

usually pretty

not usually AS pretty

usually have a shape

no definite shape

color is usually the same

color is not the same

no fossils

some have fossils

Rock

Petrologists

Summary

a naturally occurring solid made of

one or more minerals

-people who study rocks

Why Scientist Study Rocks?

Scientist are interested in the histories of the rock (when, where, and how
they formed) and what has happened to them since. Scientist look at the
earth features that provide hints about the rocks history.

3 Types of Rocks
3 types of rocks are:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Rocks are classified based on how they are formed.

Rock Cycle
The process where rocks change from one type
to another.

What Drives the Cycle?

Energy.
Igneous - heat from the interior of the Earth

Sedimentary - sunlight

Weathering
breaking down of rocks, minerals, and soil.
2 forms: chemical and mechanical.

Erosion
or mass wasting.
simple movement down a slope due to gravity.

Deposition
deposit - adding
tion - the act of
sediments, soil, and rocks are added to a land
mass or landform.

Classification of Rock Samples

1. Texture
by the size and form of its mineral grains

1. Composition
by what it is made of

1. Characteristics
properties such as color, hardness, layers, foliation,
cleavage

Igneous Rocks
igneous (latin) = from fire
rock that forms when magma cools and
solidifies.

Molten
liquefied by heat.
Magma - liquid rock produced under the Earths
surface; igneous rocks are made of magma

Cooling Rate
how long it takes the rock to harden.

Intrusions
Batholith
Laccolith
Pluton or stock
Sill

Dike

Summary

Intrusions
Intrusion- Magma formation underground
Batholith-Irregular intrusion, more than a 100 sq. km that
extends into the earth
Pluton or stock-Balloon shaped intrusion less than a 100
sq. kilometers
Laccolith-A domelike intrusion that pushes rocks layers
into an arch
Sill-Magma pushes its way between rock layers (no arch)
Dike-Vertical crack in existing rock

Extrusion
Lava plateau
Volcano

Summary

Extrusions
Extrusion-Lava formation above ground
Lava plateau- Lava pours out on the ground, cools
and repeats in layers
Volcano- lava comes out of the vents/openings

Intrusive and Extrusive

Intrusive Intrusive (inside)
Formed below ground
Cooled slowly
Large crystals
Extrusive (external)
Extrusive Formed above ground
Cooled quickly
Small crystals
Summary

Identification

Texture
Coarse

large mineral crystals (slow cooling)

example: Granite

Fine

small mineral crystals (fast cooling)

example: Basalt, rhyolite

Porphyriti
c

Summary

large and small crystals (fast and slow together in

same rock sample).

Characteristics
vesicular - full of holes due to dissolved gases
and quick cooling.
glassy - magma cools quickly - no crystals

Composition

Felsic

contains a large portion of silica

usually a light color.

Mafic

low in silica, rich in iron and magnesium

usually a dark color

Intermediate

amount of silica is between Felsic and Mafic

Summary

Warm up
1. A geologist looks at a rock sample and says: I think that this rock formed
when magma cooled slowly deep underground.
a.
What do you think the geologist noticed about the rock that caused her to
say this?
b.

What kind of rock might the geologist have been looking at?

2. It takes energy to melt the magma that forms igneous rocks. Where does
that energy come from?

75% of the rocks on the Earths surface are

Sedimentary

Sedimentary Rocks
sediment deposits that are compressed,
cemented together, and hardened.
Sediment - broken fragments of rocks, mineral
crystal and organic matter.
Sedimentation - the deposit of sediments

Sedimentary Rocks
___% of rocks are sedimentary rocks
Sedimentary rocks form near _________
Sediments2 ways they form
1.Compaction2.Cementation
3 types of sedimentary rocks (formation & examples)
1.

Sedimentary rock features

5 sedimentary rock features(what are they?):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Sedimentary Rocks
75% of rocks are sedimentary rocks
Sedimentary rocks form near water
Sediments- rock pieces fragments, pebbles, sand
2 ways they form
1.Compaction-pressure from layers forces them
together

Compaction
where volume and porosity is decreased by
weight of overlying sediments.

Cementation
minerals precipitate into pore spaces between
sediment and bind sediments to form rock.

Sorting and shape

Texture
Size

Gravel, sand, clay, mud

Sorting

Very well sorted, well sorted, moderately, poor

sorted, very poor sorted

Shape

Summary

Composition
Clastic

made from fragments of other rocks and minerals ex:

sandstone, conglomerate, shale

Chemical

forms from solution of minerals and water Ex:

limestone, gypsum

Organic

forms from remains of living things Ex: some

limestone, coal

Summary

Clastic
Chemical

Organic

Sedimentary Rock Warm-up- label as

clastic, chemical or organic

1.Made from pieces of other rocks or pebbles

2. gypsum, rock salt
3. Fossils and remains of organisms are found
4. sandstone, shale, breccia, conglomerate,
5. Deposits left when a solution evaporates
6. Limestone, coal
_________________

Sedimentary rock features

1.Another name for layering
2. Slanted layering made of different size and shape
of sediments.
3.Caused by action of wind or water on sand
4. The remains or traces of plants and animals.
5. Muddy deposits dry and shrink
___ mud cracks

Sedimentary rock features

Layers are called strata
5 sedimentary rock features:
1. stratification (layering)
2. fossils (traces of plants & animals)
3. ripple marks
4. mud cracks
5. cross-beds & graded bedding

Metamorphic Rock
Metamorphic = changed form
existing rocks that are changed to new rock
due to pressure, heat, and/or chemical
processes.

3 processes
(2 main)

Summary

1. Heat
2. Pressure
3. Chemical reaction

Metamorphism

Contact
Metamorphism

Regional
Metamorphism

Summary

process in which one type of rock

changes into metamorphic rock.
magma/lava touches rock
rock is buried in area with great
heat/pressure

Metamorphic Rocks
2 types of rocks (Define):
Give examples (listing the parent rock):

Texture
Foliated

mineral grains are arranged in planes or bands.

Nonfoliated

mineral grains are not arranged in planes or

bands.

Summary

Composition
rock origin

Sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic

examples: Shale to Slate (Sedimentary)
Granite to Gneiss (Igneous)
Slate to Schist (Metamorphic)
Limestone to Marble (Sedimentary)

Summary

Metamorphic Rocks

2 types of rocks (Define):

Foliated- mineral crystals are arranged in bands/layers
Un-foliated (non-foliated) - no bands or layers
Give examples:
Foliated
Un-foliated
slate M (shale-S)
quartzite
M (sandstone-S)
schist M
(granite-I,basalt-I,slate-M) marble M (limestone-S)
Gneiss M (granite-I)
Parent rock is in red I=igneous S=sedimentary M=metamorphic

Rock Sequence

Evaporative Rate

Summary

Igneous Rock Warm-up

page 141

Identify these rocks as coarse or fine grain &

intrusive/extrusive: (you may write them in your
booklet)
Granite
Basalt
Pumice
Obsidian
Rhyolite

Rock Bingo

Free Space

Rock Bingo
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Igneous
Rock cycle
Shale
Schist
Marble
Granite
Basalt

Essays For the Test

1. Compare and contrast the formation of coarsegrained and fine-grained igneous rock. Give an
example of each.
1. Explain what an intrusion is and describe five kinds
of intrusions.
1. Describe the formation of the three types of

Rocks & Minerals

Basalt
Slate
Gneiss
Quartzite
Sulfur 22
Granite
Shale
Marble

Rock and Mineral Identification

1. limestone
2.marble
3.Sandstone
4.quartzite
5.shale
6.slate
7.schist
8.granite