THE ROCK CYCLE

What are Rocks?

• A rock is a naturally
occurring solid mixture of
one or more minerals.

• Rocks are classified by how

they are formed, their
composition, and texture

• Rocks change over time

through the rock cycle
 Igneous Rocks
•Igneous rock begins as magma.
•Magma can form:
• When rock is heated
• When pressure is released
• When rock changes composition
•Magma freezes between
700 °C and 1,250 °C
•Magma is a mixture of
many minerals
 Igneous Rocks
Intrusive Igneous Rocks:
magma pushes into
surrounding rock below the
Earth’s surface

Extrusive Rocks: forms when

magma erupts onto the Earth’s
surface (lava), cools quickly
with very small or no crystals
formed
Igneous Rocks Examples
Coarse-Grained Fine-Grained
Intrusive Extrusive

Granite
Rhyolite

Obsidian Basalt
 Sedimentary Rocks
 Sedimentary rock is formed by erosion
 Sediments are moved from
one place to another
 Sediments are deposited in
layers, with the older ones
on the bottom
 The layers become compacted
and cemented together
 Sediments are matter that settles to the
bottom.
 Sedimentary Rock
 Sedimentary Rocks are formed at or
near the Earth’s surface
 No heat and pressure involved
 Strata – layers of rock
 Stratification – the process in
which sedimentary rocks are
arranged in layers.
 Types of Sedimentary Rock
•Clastic – made of fragments of
rock squeezed together with
calcite or quartz.
Examples include breccia,
conglomerate, sandstone,
siltstone, and shale.
 Sandstone
Breccia

Shale Sandstone
 Types of Sedimentary Rock
•Chemical sedimentary –
minerals dissolved in a water
solution and crystallized.
Examples include chert, some
dolomites, flint, iron ore,
limestones, and rock salt.
Limestone Rock salt

Flint Chert
 Types of Sedimentary Rock
•Organic sedimentary – formed
when remains of plants and
animals are deposited in
layers.
Examples include fossiliferous
limestone and coal.
Coal Fossiliferous Lime
stone
 METAMORPHIC ROCKS
•Formed when rocks are
changes into different kind of
rock by heat and pressure.
•Examples: Gneiss, marble and
slate
Marble
Slate

Gneiss
 The Rock cycle
•This is a series of processes that
occurs on the Earth's surface, and in
the crust and mantle that slowly
change rocks from one type to
another.
•Weathering can break down granite
into sediments, then later form
sedimentary rocks.
The
Rock
Cycle
Do pages 34-35 in your workbook.
EROSION AND THE
LADSCAPE
 What is Erosion?
•This is the process of wearing down
and carrying away of rocks or soil.
•This includes the breaking of rocks
into small pieces.
•It involves the removal of rock
particles by wind, water ice or
gravity.
 What is weathering?
•This is the process that breaks
down rocks and other
substances.
•This can be triggered by heat,
cold, ice and gasses.
•Erosion carries what has been
weathered.
 Types of Erosion
•There are six main different types of
erosions;
1)Erosion by water
2)Erosion by wind
3)Erosion by glaciers
4)Erosion by ice
5)Erosion by living things
6)Erosion by chemicals.
Erosion by water
EROSION BY
WIND
Erosion by Glaciers
Erosion by ICE
Erosion by LIVING
THINGS
EROSION BY
CHEMICALS
SOIL
 What is soil?
•This is a mixture of rock particles,
minerals, decayed organic
materials, water and air.
•Rock particles can be classifies as
•Sand, slit, gravel and clay.
SOIL PARTICLE
SIZES
 SOIL PROFILE
•The decay organic material in
soil is called HUMUS. It’s the
dark color substance made from
plant and animal remains.
•Soil has different layers called
HORIZONS.
SOIL FERTILITY
•This is how well a soil can
supports plant growth.
•A fertile soil is rich in
nutrients that plants need to
grow.
 Soil Texture
•Some soil are coarse and granny like
sandy soil.
•Some are smooth and silky.
•Soil like clay hold too much water and
no air, hence not best for plant growth.
•LOAM soil is soil that is made of equal
parts of clay, sand and silt.
 HOW CAN SOIL BE
CONSERVED
•Soil can be conserved by contour
farming and crop rotation.