Rock forming processes&rock cycle

Metric system- internationally agreed decimal system of measurement, based on the meter, kilogram and second
density- volumetric mass density, of a substance is its mass per unit volume /
Specific Gravity (SG)- ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance
Mineral- naturally occurring inorganic substances with a definite and predictable chemical composition and physical properties
Plate tectonic theory - scientific theory that attempts to explain the movements of the Earth's lithosphere that have formed the
landscape features we see. says that the Earth's lithosphere is made up individual plates that are broken down into over a dozen
large and small pieces of solid rock. These fragmented plates ride next to each other on top of the Earth's more fluid lower
mantle to create different types of plate boundaries that have shaped the Earth's landscape over millions of years.
Know all the plate tectonic boundaries and features associated with them. Like
continental collisions are associated with convergent boundary and so on.
Remember major Plates, Mountains and Rivers from plate tectonic in class assignment.
divergent boundary-occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other. Along these boundaries, lava spews from long fissures
and geysers spurt superheated water. Frequent earthquakes strike along the rift. Beneath the rift, magmamolten rockrises from the
mantle. It oozes up into the gap and hardens into solid rock, forming new crust on the torn edges of the plates. Magma from the mantle
solidifies into basalt, a dark, dense rock that underlies the ocean floor. Thus at divergent boundaries, oceanic crust, made of basalt, is
created.
convergent boundary - when two plates come together.impact of the two colliding plates buckles the edge of one or both plates up into a
rugged mountain range, and sometimes bends other down into deep seafloor trench. chain of volcanoes often forms parallel to
boundary,mountain range, trench. Powerful earthquakes shake a wide area on both sides of the boundary.If one of the colliding plates is
topped with oceanic crust, it is forced down into the mantle where it begins to melt. Magma rises into and through the other plate,
solidifying into new crust. Magma formed from melting plates solidifies into granite, a light colored, low-density rock that makes up the
continents. Thus at convergent boundaries, continental crust, made of granite, is created, and oceanic crust is destroyed.
transform plate boundary -Two plates sliding past each. Natural or human-made structures that cross a transform boundary are offset
split into pieces and carried in opposite directions. Rocks that line boundary are pulverized as plates grind along, creating linear fault valley
or undersea canyon. As plates alternately jam & jump against each other, earthquakes rattle through wide boundary zone. In contrast to
convergent and divergent boundaries, no magma formed. crust is cracked and broken at transform margins, but is not created or
destroyed.

Where can you find youngest oceanic crust? mid ocean ridges?
physical properties (color, streak, luster, hardness, cleavage) of minerals. -
Also know some special properties (mainly magnetism and reaction with HCl) of
minerals also.
Mohs scale of hardness.
rock types and rock cycle.
Igneous rocks are crystalline solids which form directly from the cooling of magma. This is an exothermic process (it loses heat) and involves a phase change from the liquid to
the solid state. The earth is made of igneous rock - at least at the surface where our planet is exposed to the coldness of space. Igneous rocks are given names based upon two
things: composition (what they are made of) and texture (how big the crystals are).
Sed- In most places on the surface, the igneous rocks which make up the majority of the crust are covered by a thin veneer of loose sediment, and the rock which is made as
layers of this debris get compacted and cemented together. Sedimentary rocks are called secondary, because they are often the result of the accumulation of small pieces broken
off of pre-existing rocks. There are three main types of sedimentary rocks:
Clastic: your basic sedimentary rock. Clastic sedimentary rocks are accumulations of clasts: little pieces of broken up rock which have piled up and been
"lithified" by compaction and cementation.
Chemical: many of these form when standing water evaporates, leaving dissolved minerals behind. These are very common in arid lands, where seasonal
"playa lakes" occur in closed depressions. Thick deposits of salt and gypsum can form due to repeated flooding and evaporation over long periods of time.
Organic: any accumulation of sedimentary debris caused by organic processes. Many animals use calcium for shells, bones, and teeth. These bits of
calcium can pile up on the seafloor and accumulate into a thick enough layer to form an "organic" sedimentary rock
Metamorphics- get their name from "meta" (change) and "morph" (form). Any rock can become a metamorphic rock. All that is required is for the rock to
be moved into an environment in which the minerals which make up the rock become unstable and out of equilibrium with the new environmental
conditions. In most cases, this involves burial which leads to a rise in temperature and pressure. The metamorphic changes in the minerals always move in a
direction designed to restore equilibrium. Common metamorphic rocks include slate, schist, gneiss, and marble.
Rock Cycle- chart below shows each type of rock connected by arrows. The arrows point from one rock form to a new form that it can become over time and
exposure. The Rock Cycle describes the process the earth uses to recycle rocks. Yes, even rocks are recycled.There are three basic types of
rocks: igneous, metamorphic, andsedimentary. The interesting part of knowing these names is that any one of the three types of rock can be changed into one of the
other types.The names of the rock types refer to the way the rocks are formed. Igneous rocks are formed from fiery molten magma. Metamorphic rocks form under
intense heat and pressure. Sedimentary rocks form by weathering.
Lets take a closer look at each type.
Igneous Rocks
Igneous rocks are formed of magma, the molten form of the earths mantle layer. Igneous rocks can form above ground as lava spewing from volcanoes. But igneous
rocks can also form below the surface. Pockets of magma get stuck in layers of the earth. As they get closer and closer to the surface, the magma slowly cools. Granite
is an igneous rock that formed from a slow-cooling pocket of magma.
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary rocks form from small weathered particles of other rocks or the weathered shells of sea animals. Wind and rain beating on the faces of exposed rock tend
to wear off particles that are blown or washed to a new location. When sea creatures die, the shells settle on the bottom of the ocean. As the sediments pile up, they
press together to form Sedimentary rock.
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks form under intense heat and pressure. Metamorphic rocks start out as igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks or other types of metamorphic rocks, but
through heat or pressure, change characteristics such as sheen, tightness of grain and hardness.
Rocks continually change form. What started out as sedimentary rock may change to metamorphic and, with time and weathering, change back to edimentary.

How sedimentary rocks form- Sedimentary rocks are formed in places where there has been water at one time. Dead animals, plants, and
pieces of rocks or minerals are carried to these places by wind, water, ice, or even gravity. They are usually dropped off in bodies of water where they
sink to the bottom. Little by little they make layers that build on top of each other. This puts pressure on the lower layers.
Sedimentary rock formation begins with igneous, metamorphic, or other sedimentary rocks. When these rocks are exposed at the earths surface
they begin the long slow but relentless process of becoming sedimentary rock. PROCESS BELOW
Weathering-All rocks are subject to weathering. Weathering is anything that breaks the rocks into smaller pieces or sediments. This can happen
by the forces of like wind, rain, and freezing water.
Deposition-The sediments that form from these actions are often carried to other places by the wind, running water, and gravity. As these forces
lose energy the sediments settle out of the air or water. As the settling takes place the rock fragments are graded by size. The larger heavier
pieces settle out first. The smallest fragments travel farther and settle out last. This process of settling out is called deposition.
Erosion-The combination of weathering and movement of the resulting sediments is called erosion.
Lithification-Lithification is the changing of sediments into rock. There are two processes involved in this change. They are compaction and
cementation.
Compaction-Compaction occurs after the sediments have been deposited. The weight of the sediments squeezes the particles together. As more
and more sediments are deposited the weight on the sediments below increases. Waterborne sediments become so tightly squeezed together
that most of the water is pushed out. Cementation happens as dissolved minerals become deposited in the spaces between the sediments. These
minerals act as glue or cement to bind the sediments together.
The process of sedimentary rock formation takes millions of years to complete only to begin a new cycle of rock formation.
Know what kind of processes is involved in changing rock from one type to another. Like
igneous rock to sedimentary rock or sedimentary rock to metamorphic rock and so
on.(Page 90) p91
Ign to met by intense heat/pressure & or hot fluids. Ign to sed by weathering and lithification. Ign to ign remelted cooled and solidified
Sed to ign by melted, cooled and solidified. Sed to met by intense heat/pressure & or hot fluids. Sed to sed by weathered and lithified
Met to sed weather and lithified. Met to ign melted cooled and solidified. 2Met to met re-met into different type by intense heat pressure & or
hot fluids
Know rock forming mineral for igneous rocks. What are felsic and mafic minerals (Figure
5.2 Page 106). P.107



Study figure 5.4 on Page 109. Specifically know which type of igneous rock is associated
with continental and oceanic crusts.
The oceanic crust is 5 km (3 mi) to 10 km (6 mi) thick
[2]
and is composed primarily of basalt, diabase, and gabbro. The continental crust is typically
from 30 km (20 mi) to 50 km (30 mi) thick and is mostly composed of slightly less dense rocks than those of the oceanic crust. Some of these less
dense rocks, such as granite, are common in the continental crust but rare to absent in the oceanic crust. Both the continental and oceanic crust "float"
on the mantle. Because the continental crust is thicker, it extends both above and below the oceanic crust. The slightly lighter density of felsic
continental rock compared to basaltic ocean rock contributes to the higher relative elevation of the top of the continental crust. Because the top of the
continental crust is above that of the oceanic, water runs off the continents and collects above the oceanic crust.
Know Bowen reaction series and order of crystallization of minerals (Figure 5.3 Page
108) and also rate of cooling magma.
What is physical and chemical weathering? Physical Weathering- Physical weathering, also called mechanical weathering, is the process of breaking rock down into
smaller pieces of rock with the same physical properties.
Types of Physical Weathering-Physical weathering can occur a number of ways. Rocks can be broken apart by other material hitting them, plants growing in cracks, and water
freezing in the cracks, which causes the rock to break apart.
Definition of Chemical Weathering-Chemical weathering is a process that changes a rock into another rock with different chemical properties.
Types of Chemical Weathering- Examples of chemical weathering include oxidation (rusting), hydrolysis and hydration. These processes involve a chemical reaction with
elements in the environment and produce a rock with new mineral composition.
Effects of Weathering-Weathering is a slow process that shapes the entire surface of the Earth. Both chemical and physical weathering work to erode rocks and mountains, create
sand and move minerals to new locations in which they can be transformed into sedimentary rocks.

Know grain size ranges of gravel, sand, silt and clay (Wentworth classification) 128-129
What do you understand by well sorted and poorly sorted sediments? 132 All very similar particles size wise to a mixture of
many various different sizes. Poorly sorted- mixture of many diff sized grains . well sorted- similar sized grains
Know environment of formation of sedimentary rocks like gypsum and rock salt. (Figure
6.2 Page 130) evaporating lake
Study figure 6.3 (page 131). Know the classification, composition and texture of the
sedimentary rocks that we practiced in lab.
What are metamorphic rocks? Study Figure 7.15 on page 165. Textural features,
mineralogical composition, parent rock
What is contact metamorphism?- Metamorphism in which the mineralogy and texture of a body of rock are changed by exposure to
the pressure and extreme temperature associated with a body of intruding magma. Contact metamorphism often results in the
formation of valuable minerals, such as garnet and emery, through the interaction of the hot magma with adjacent rock.
What is regional metamorphism? 157 A type of metamorphism in which the mineralogy and texture of rocks are changed over a
wide area by deep burial and heating associated with the large-scale forces of plate tectonics. In regional metamorphism, rocks that
form closer to the margin of the tectonic plates, where the heat and pressure are greatest, often differ in their minerals and texture
from those that form farther away. Know the plate tectonic setting for this type.
What is foliated - Of or relating to rock that exhibits a layered structure// composed of thin easily separable layers 1) foliated
metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, phyllite, schist and slate which have a layered or banded appearance that is produced by exposure to heat and
directed pressure; and non-foliated textures- 2)non-foliated metamorphic rocks such as marble and quartzite which do not have a layered or
banded appearance.
What do you understand by metamorphic grade? Know rock types with
increasing/decreasing grade. (Figure 7.1 on page 156 and Figure 7.15 on page 165***) 166A
Study the index minerals of metamorphic rocks (Figure A Page 166A)