EES 101: Igneous Rocks and Magmatic Processes Study Guide

Igneous Rocks

Formed by the cooling and solidfication of molten rock material either inside or outside of the Earths surface

Sedimentary Rocks

Formed as sediments accumulate in layers at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water

Metamorphic Rocks

Formed by "changing" preexisting igneous, sedimentary, or other metamorphic rocks through heat, pressure, and chemical reactions

Rock Cycle

Represents the set of processes by which rocks are continuously formed, broken down, and processed in response to changing environmental conditions; demonstrates how dynamic geological mechanisms can transform any single rock type into another overtime

Neptunism Thoery

Propesed in the 18th century by German mineralogist Abraham Werner; hypothesized that all rocks orginally preciptated out of a vast global ocean