10 FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS ABOUT
ROCKS AND ROCK CYCLE
MADE BY: FATEH ALI MEHDI
CLASS: VIII-F

How are rocks formed or

made?
Rocks can lithify from sediments,

solidify from melt, precipitate out of

saturated solutions, or metamorphose
from other rock types. The first rocks on
Earth were igneous rocks, formed from
the cooling of molten material on the
surface.
Rocks are categorized into three
distinct typesbased on their method
of formation. The three types
areigneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic.

What is the difference

between a rock and a
mineral?
Amineralis a naturally-occurring inorganic
(there are some exceptions to this) crystalline
solid (though mercury is regarded as a mineral)
with a specific chemical composition and a
characteristic internal regular geometric
arrangement of atoms, sometimes expressed as
natural crystal faces.

Arockis an aggregate of one (such as quartzite)

or more (such as granite) mineral particles
formed through either crystallization of molten
magma (igneous rocks), settling of particles
(sedimentary rocks), or reheating and pressure
applied to pre-existing rocks (metamorphic
rocks), with no set chemical composition or
atomic structure.

What is the relationship between sedimentary

metamorphic and igneous rocks and how do
they change?

Sedimentary rockis formed when sediment (sand, mud, clay, and other small rock particles) is transported
by wind or water to a point of rest, where it is compressed to extreme pressures from further overlying
sediments over long periods of time and the gaps between the small particles are cemented together by
mineral solutions. Exposed sedimentary rock undergoes weathering by a number of means, and the resultant
particles may find a point of quiet deposition and become new sedimentary rock.

Igneous rockis nothing more, and nothing less, than cooled magma, either extruded or erupted on the
surface (extrusive igneous rocks), or slowly cooled underground (intrusive igneous rocks). You do not find
fossils within igneous rock because organic matter would be unlikely to survive the temperatures of molten
rock. Igneous rocks eventually weather into smaller particles which can be transported by nature and
deposited in a sedimentary basin to eventually form sedimentary rock. Igneous rock can also be sub ducted
at plate boundaries, remolded, and become a new igneous rock.

Metamorphic rockused to be sedimentary or igneous (or even a different kind of metamorphic), but has
changed its appearance and/or mineral composition over time through extreme heat and pressure.
Metamorphic rock can be formed from heat and pressure at depth, through pressures from continental
collisions, or from contact of a parent rock with an igneous intrusion (called contact metamorphism). Often
this kind of rock looks layered as the minerals flatten and group together at right angles to the directional
force of pressure, in a banding called 'foliation'. Fossils within metamorphic rock are extremely rare, as the
heat and pressure will usually remove the fossil record from previously sedimentary rock. Metamorphic rock
may melt and become igneous rock, or it may become exposed at the surface through erosion or uplift. Once

What is the difference between

intrusive and extrusive igneous
rock?

Intrusiveigneousrockscooled below the surface of the planet, however, and generally

display larger crystals due to the increased amount of time spent at mineral crystallization
temperatures from the insulating effect of surrounding material.
Examples: granite, gabbro, diorite, peridotite.

ExtrusiveIgneousrocks are formed from magma at or above the surface of the planet,
and generally display smaller mineral crystals, or no crystals at all, because of the rapid
cooling environment in which they form. Chemically, an intrusive and extrusive rock could
be identical, the only difference being the size of the mineral crystals they contain.
Examples: obsidian, rhyolite, pumice, scoria, basalt.

How does the rate of cooling of

magma affect the crystal size and
texture of igneous rocks?
o

Slower rates of cooling will create larger crystals.

Rapid cooling allows little time for element
accumulation in the crystal, therefore, the crystals
created will be smaller.Larger, visible crystals in
igneous rock indicate that the magma was slow
cooling, usually at depth. Much smaller crystals in
igneous rock indicate rapid cooling of lava, usually
at or near the surface. Crystals in igneous rock will
grow larger and have more time to accumulate
material for their growth the more time they have
at their crystallization temperature.

How does sedimentary rock

become metamorphic rock?

Sedimentary rock becomes metamorphic

rock through the addition of heat and/or
pressure. Contact metamorphic rocks
are those primarily transformed by close
proximity to an intrusion of magma,
where a recrystallization or elemental
transfer can take place. Sedimentary
rocks like shale can metamorphose into
slate mainly through pressure and heat
derived from plate collision, where the
alignment of minerals is changed
resulting in a foliated texture.

What are the advantages of

cycle of sedimentation?
The study of cycle of sedimentation and sedimentary rock has great

practical value as well. Oil and gas, our most valuable sources of energy
are found in these rocks. These precious resources are becoming
increasingly difficult to find, and so it's more important than ever to
understand how sedimentary rocks which is known as sedimentation
cycle. As oil and gas decline in abundance, coal which is a distinct type of
sedimentary rock will be use increasingly to generate energy. Another
important energy source that may accumulate in sedimentary rock is
uranium, which is for nuclear power. Phosphate rock used for fertilizer is
sedimentary, as is much of the world's iron ore. Knowing how these kinds
of sediment form or sedimentation cycle can help us to find and use these
limited resources.

What are some examples of

sedimentary rocks?
Thefollowingareexamplesofsedimentaryrocks:

Shale
Sandstone
Limestone
Siltstone
Mudstone
Chalk
Clay stone
Itacolumite
Bituminous
coal
Oolite
Oil shale

Conglomerate
Diatomite
Rock salt
Rock Gypsum
Coquina
Asphalt rock
Alabaster
Greywacke
Travertine
Banded iron
Gritstone

Orthoquartzite
Radiolarite
Lignite
Marl
Dolostone
Flint
Chert
Ironstone
Breccia

How does foliation

occur?

Foliation happens when a rock is compressed from one direction and

partially recrystallizes. This causes crystals of minerals like mica and
chlorite to grow perpendicular to the direction of the force, and gives
the rock a banded appearance.
Foliation not related to layering, though if a sedimentary rock with the
right mineral makeup is metamorphosed, it may take on a foliated
appearance. In this case, however, the orientation of the foliation is
usually at a different angle than the original layering.
The end result of foliation is that the rock is so heavily compressed that
the minerals actually rearrange themselves in response to the pressure
being exerted on the rock. Sometimes this even causes reactions that
form new minerals.

How is the age of a rock or

rock layer determined?

A sedimentary rocks age can be estimated (relative age) by

index fossils that may be present in the rock. Certain fossils
only appear in rocks from a certain geologic age. This method
is known as 'relative dating' and the age is called the 'relative
age'. The 'absolute' geologic age of the strata which bear the
index fossils has been determined by the radiometric age of
igneous intrusions which are relative to the layers of
sedimentary rock, according to the Law of Superposition and
the Law of Horizontality. For igneous and metamorphic rock,
age is determined primarily by radiometric dating based on
decay of isotopes found within the rock. For some igneous
rocks, the age of the rock is known precisely from historical
records correlating to its formation.