The Rock Cycle
What is the difference between magma and lava?
Magma is molten rock inside the earth.
Lava is molten rock flowing on the surface.
What are intrusive igneous rocks?
Intrusive igneous rocks form under the earth's surface.
Their crystals are several millimeters across.
What are sedimentary rocks?
Sedimentary rocks form when loose sediments are compacted & cemented together to make a solid rock.
Define foliation.
Foliation is the alignment of minerals to create layers.
Name 3 fossil fuels.
Three fossil fuels are coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
What does magma contain the lava does not contain?
Magma contains dissolved gases.
Lava does not contain these gases.
What are extrusive igneous rocks?
Extrusive igneous rocks form on the earth's surface. Their crystals are small (microscopic).
Of what are sedimentary rocks composed?
Many sedimentary rocks are composed of fragments of pre-existing rocks. Others are made of skeletons of dead creatures.
What causes foliation in metamorphic rocks?
Foliation is caused by intense lateral pressure, which makes flat minerals line up so mineral grains are parallel to each other.
How are petroleum and natural gas deposits formed?
Petroleum and natural gas come from black shale which contains a lot of "dead creature" remains. With time and high temperatures the remains change into petroleum and natural gas.
Why does lava not contain what magma contains?
Lava releases gases due to pressure when it comes out of the earth.
Why does granite have larger crystals than rhyolite?
Granite is an intrusive igneous rock.
Rhyolite is an extrusive igneous rock.
What is chemical sedimentary rock?
Chemical sedimentary rock is formed from minerals dissolved in seawater.
Describe the changes in texture and minerals as shale is metamorphosed from slate to gneiss.
Shale starts as fine textured. The grains become coarser as it transforms to mica with larger grains. The mica grains become visible and then transform into quartz, feldspar, and amphibole.
How do coal deposits form?
Coal is composed of
compressed and altered plant remains.
These are compacted and transformed into peat.
The peat is compacted and becomes lignite.
Lignite becomes bituminous coal.
Bituminous coal becomes anthracite.
What happens when rocks experience weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition?
Weathering is the breakdown of rocks to sediments.
Erosion is when the sediments are moved by weather (transportation).
Deposition is when rocks settle somewhere.
What two properties are used to classify igneous rocks?
The two properties that classify igneous rocks are texture and composition.
What is organic sedimentary rock?
Organic sedimentary rock is formed from remains of organisms (dead stuff).
What is regional metamorphism?
Regional metamorphism is caused by lateral pressure, which often occurs deep in the crust beneath mountain ranges.
Name 3 examples of renewable energy resources.
Three renewable energy resources are:
wind, solar, geothermal.
Which part of the rock cycle occurs deep in the earth's crust?
Which parts occur at the surface?
Metamorphism, melting, and crystallization occur deep in the crust.
Crystallization may also occur near the surface.
Compaction and cementation also occur near the surface.
What is composition?
Composition refers to the chemical elements and minerals a rock is made of.
What is clastic sedimentary rock?
Clastic sedimentary rock is formed by mineral or rock fragments that eroded from previously existing rocks.
What is contact metamorphism?
Contact metamorphism is high temperature metamorphism that occurs due to presence of magma which bakes surrounding rocks.
What is a disadvantage of a renewable energy resource such as wind?
Wind cannot generate electricity when wind is not present.
It is also costly and requires a great deal of research, time, and creativity.