Rock
Rocks are naturally occurring mixtures of minerals, mineral matter, or
organic materials. Three main types occur: sedimentary rocks, formed by
weathering and mechanical sorting on the Earth's surface; metamorphic
rocks, which are rocks that have been transformed by the effects of
high temperature and pressure; and igneous rocks, derived from magma
(for example, volcanic rocks ).
Did you know?
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Common sedimentary rocks include sandstone, limestone, and shale. These
rocks often start as sediments carried in rivers and deposited in lakes
and oceans. When buried, the sediments lose water and become cemented
to form rock.
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Common metamorphic rocks include schist, marble, and gneiss. The
sedimentary rock shale (formed mostly of clay sediments) when buried
and heated to high temperatures (300-500°C) becomes transformed or
metamorphosed into schist.
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Common volcanic (igneous rocks) are basalt, andesite, and rhyolite.
When magmas crystallize deep underground they look different from
volcanic rocks because they cool more slowly and, therefore, have
larger crystals. Igneous rocks cooled beneath the Earth's surface are
called intrusive rocks. The intrusive equivalents of basalt, andesite,
and rhyolite are gabbro, diorite, and granite, respectively.