y What are Igneous Rocks?

This is the first layer of rocks. y Deep in the centre of the Earth, under the Earth's crust, it is so hot that some rocks melt. The melted rock is called magma. y When a volcano erupts it forces magma to the surface of the Earth. Now it is called lava. As it gets nearer to the Earth's surface the lava cools and hardens to form rock. y This type of rock is called igneous rock. y Granite, pumice and basalt are all igneous rocks.

y What are Igneous Rocks used for ?

Granite y Granite is an example of an igneous rock. It is formed when magma that lies beneath the Earth's crust rises and cools slowly inside the Earth's crust, where it becomes solid. Granite is a very hard rock. As with many of the other rocks we have seen it can be used for buildings and for long lasting monuments. It is also often used for kerb stones.

Pumice y This is a very light igneous rock which is formed when lava from the volcanoes is forced to the surface of the Earth's crust and cools quickly. Some people use pumice stones to scrub stains which won't come off with soap and water. It can also be ground down and used in polish or as lava soap.
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y Basalt is made of fine-grained interlocking crystals

(about 1mm in size). It is black or dark grey in colour, and often contains vesicles bubbles of gas trapped as the lava cooled.

Pumice is formed when gas-rich magma froths up to form a sort of mousse . The lava is glassy-looking and is so full of bubbles that it floats on water!

y Gabbro is made of coarse-grained (5mm or so)

interlocking crystals. Its overall colour is dark grey but it often contains glassy or pale-coloured crystals of feldspar as well as dark minerals.

y What are Sedimentary Rocks? y Sedimentary rocks are formed from tiny particles of

sand or clay, or animal or plant remains. y Rivers wash these tiny particles out into the sea or lakes where they settle on the sea bed. y Over millions of years the layers at the bottom of the lakes and seas arecrushed by the new layers and the water above them and form a band of new rock. y Chalk, limestone, sandstone andshale are all sedimentary rocks.

y What are Sedimentary Rocks used for? y Limestone y Limestone is a very common sedimentary rock, it

has many uses but is mostly used as a building material. It can be used to make stones for building or it can be crushed to be used as an ingredient ofPortland Cement. y Chalk y Chalk is another sedimentary rock and is used in many ways. It is used to make: putty, plaster, cement, quicklime, mortar, and rubber goods and also for blackboard chalk. Harder forms are used as building stones.

y Conglomerate y Conglomerate is made up of rounded pebbles

(>2mm) cemented together. They are formed from sediment deposited by fast-flowing rivers or by waves on beaches. Mudstone

y Mudstone is made up of fine-grained clay particles

(<0.05mm) compressed together. Mudstones form where clay has settled out in calm water - in lakes, lagoons, or deep sea. Flaky mudstone is called shale.

Sandstone y Sandstone is made of sand grains (0.05-2mm) cemented together. It is formed from sediment deposited by rivers, the sea, or by the wind, so there are many types of sandstone. Limestone & Chalk

Metamorphic Rocks y Metamorphic rocks were once igneous or sedimentary rocks, but have been changed (metamorphosed) as a result of intense heat and/or pressure within the Earth s crust. They are crystalline and often have a squashed (foliated or banded) texture.

Limestone is made up of calcium carbonate (fizzes with acid). This may be shell fragments, mud, or small, round tooliths that form in tropical lagoons. Chalk is a soft white limestone made from the microscopic skeletons of marine plankton.

y Slate is made of fine-grained interlocking crystals

which lie flat in the same direction, known as the cleavage direction, along which the rock easily splits.

y Schist is made of medium-grained interlocking crystals. Its

shiny appearance is due to the mineral mica. Crystals line up to give the rock wrinkly layers this is called foliation.

y Gneiss is made of coarse-grained interlocking crystals.

Crystals line up in pale and dark layers to give the rock a banded texture.

y Marble(metamorphosed limestone) is made of calcium

carbonate (fizzes with acid). It has medium-grained Interlocking crystals with no alignment.