Rock Cycle Pathways
The two processes required to transform liquid magma or lava into an igneous rock
What are melting and crystallization
The location where intrusive igneous rocks form relative to the Earth's surface
What is deep underground / beneath Earth's surface
In the lab, the initial, unwrapped Starburst pieces before any pressure was applied
What are sediments
Light-colored extrusive igneous rock filled with holes (vesicles) caused by trapped gas bubbles
What is pumice
The type of rock in which fossils are almost exclusively found
What are sedimentary rock
The complete list of main processes needed to turn any rock into a sedimentary rock
What are weathering, erosion, compaction, and cementation
The rate of cooling that allows intrusive igneous rocks to grow large, coarse crystals
What is slow cooling
Stacking the cut Starbursts and pressing down with a heavy textbook created this rock type
What is sedimentary rock
Foliated metamorphic rock formed when granite is subjected to extreme heat and pressure, producing wavy bands
What is gneiss
Organic sedimentary rock formed from compacted dead plant remains in swampy environments
What is coal
The two main geological forces responsible for turning igneous or sedimentary rocks into metamorphic rocks
What are heat and pressure
Obsidian has a smooth, glassy texture without visible crystals because it cooled at this rate
What is extremely fast / rapid cooling
Placing the Starburst package in warm water while applying gentle pressure modeled this rock transformation
What is heat and pressure creating a metamorphic rock
Detrital sedimentary rock formed from sand-sized grains compacted in visible horizontal layers
What is sandstone
Large-scale metamorphism caused by intense tectonic pressure across broad regions at convergent boundaries
What is regional metamorphism
The geological term for the original, un-metamorphosed rock from which a metamorphic rock forms
What is the parent rock
The three main sub-categories used to classify sedimentary rocks
What are detrital (clastic), chemical, and organic
Completely melting the Starbursts in hot water until layers vanished and letting them cool modeled this rock type
What is igneous rock
Detrital sedimentary rock made of rounded pebbles and larger stones cemented together
What is conglomerate
Sedimentary rock composed of marine shell fragments or calcium carbonate precipitate
What is limestone
True or False: A sedimentary rock can only turn into a metamorphic rock and cannot melt directly into magma
What is False (rocks can take multiple pathways through the cycle)
The main visual distinction between foliated and non-foliated metamorphic rocks
What is visible mineral banding/parallel layers vs. unaligned grains
Cutting or breaking the Starbursts into tiny fragments modeled these two geological processes
What are weathering and erosion
Common intrusive igneous rock made of coarse quartz and feldspar crystals
What is granite
Metamorphic rock formed when sandstone undergoes high heat and pressure
What is quartzite