EARTH LIFE AND SCIENCE

LESSON 4: ROCKS

Rocks Examples of Igneous Rocks

> Naturally formed. ~ Pegmatite ~ Andesite ~ Granite
> Contains bunch of materials. ~ Gabbro ~ Chloe ~ Pumice
> Non – living earth material. ~ Sodalite ~ Dacite ~ Dacite
> Classified on how they were formed. ~ Diorite ~ Scoria ~ Obsidian
Processes involved in igneous rock formation

Classifications of Rocks a. Cooling down

1. IGNEOUS ROCKS
> Formed when magma cools down.
> Came from the Latin word “Ignis” which
means “fire”.
> Are volcanic (molten material).
b. Crystallization (the process by which solid forms)
c. Melting
Subduction Zone – place where two plates
meet. The less dense plate goes down to the
asthenosphere – contains molten materials.
It is where the magma came from, which has
a temperature of 1300 degree Celsius.

2 Types of Igneous Rocks Lithosphere – brittle lower crust of the

earth’s mesosphere – can be found
Extrusive Igneous Rocks underneath the asthenosphere that contains
> Cools quickly and as a result, these rocks solid materials.
are fined grained or has lack of crystal
growth.
> “Fined grained igneous rocks”.
2. SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
> Come out from the volcano.
> Cools down quickly because of Earth’s > Fragments of other rocks, organic
atmosphere. remains, or particles of sand (sediments).
> Rough. > Fairly soft.
> Formed by years of compaction.
Intrusive Igneous Rocks
> Location of the formation of fossils
> Formed from magma that cools slowly
(strata).
and as a result, these rocks are coarse
> Paleontology – study of fossils.
grained.
> Fossils – used to create energy like
> “Coarse grained” or “Large grained”.
petroleum.
> Formed in the magma’s sub – chamber.
> Fine or smooth.
 3 Types of Sedimentary Rocks d. Erosion
> Process by which earth materials are worn
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
away by natural forces such as wind and
> Water evaporates and previously dissolved
water.
minerals are left behind.
> Rock salt Examples of Sedimentary Rocks
> Gypsum
~ Breccia (clastic)
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks ~ Limestone (organic)
> Buildup of tiny pieces of broken rocks ~ Rock salt (chemical)
(clastics). ~ Siltstone (clastic)
> Mud stone ~ Shale (clastic)
> Sand stone ~ Sandstone (clastic)
~ Conglomerate (clastic)
Organic Sedimentary Rocks
~ Gypsum (chemical)
> Accumulation of any form of animal or
plant remains like bones.
> Lime stone
3. METAMORPHIC ROCKS
Processes involved in sedimentary rock
> Transformed rocks.
formation
> Undergoes metamorphosis (change).
a. Compaction > Made from igneous, sedimentary or
> Happens when sediments are deeply another metamorphic rocks.
buried, placing them under pressure because > Alters the chemical make up of rocks.
of weight of overlying rock layers. This > Goes under extreme heat and pressure but
squishes the grains together more tightly. does not melt.
> Happens at earth’s surface.
2 Types of Metamorphic Rocks
> Forming of sedimentary rock is faster.
Foliated
b. Lithification
> Have layered or banded appearance.
> Refers to the complex physical chemical
or biological processes whereby Non – foliated
unconsolidated materials becomes solid or > Don’t have a layered or banded
converted into rock. appearance.
Sand silt and mud, sandstone silt, stone
mudstone. Happens mostly in bodies of Processes involved in metamorphic rock
water because of slow compaction. formation
> Happens at the bottom of the ocean. a. Metamorphosis
> Forming of sedimentary rocks is slower > The process of change.
because of the water.
> Water – universal solvent.
c. Weathering
> Breaking down of rocks, force winds, and
water.
 Examples of Metamorphic Rocks
(Foliated)
~ Gneiss (from granite)
~ Phyllite (from sandstone)
~ Schist (from mudstone, siltstone)
(Non – foliated)
~ Slate (from shale)
~ Soapstone (from dunite)
~ Marble (from limestone, dolomite)
THE ROCK CYCLE
Rock Cycle
> Rocks are constantly changing in what is
called the rock cycle. It takes millions of
years for rocks to change.
Major Processes Involved in Rock Cycle
a. Sedimentation
> During sedimentation, the sediments are
laid down or deposited.
b. Erosion
> Running water, ice, and gravity all
transport sediments from one place to
another by erosion.
c. Weathering
> Weathering wears rocks at the Earth’s
surface down into smaller pieces
(sediments).
d. Crystallization
> As the magma cools, different crystals
form at different temperatures, undergoing
crystallization.
> The rate of cooling determines how much
time the crystals will have to form.
e. Solidification
> When the hot molten material cools down,
the molten material then hardens out.
f. Metamorphism
> When a rock is exposed to extreme heat
and pressure within the Earth but does not
melt, the rock becomes metamorphosed.