The Rock Cycle: How Rocks Change Over Time

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and definitions related to the rock cycle, its processes, types of rocks, and factors influencing the cycle.

Rock Cycle

The process that describes how the three main types of rocks—igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary—transform into one another.

Igneous Rocks

Rocks that form when molten rock, called magma, cools and hardens.

Metamorphic Rocks

Rocks formed when existing rocks are subjected to intense heat and pressure, changing their structure and minerals without melting.

Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks that form from pieces of other rocks broken down by weathering and erosion, accumulating in layers.

Weathering

The process of breaking down rocks at Earth's surface by wind, water, ice, and living things.

Erosion

The process of carrying away sediments by water, wind, ice, or other forces.

Compaction

The process where the weight of new layers presses down on older layers, squeezing sediments together.

Cementation

The process where minerals in water act like glue, cementing sediments into solid sedimentary rock.

Tectonic Forces

Forces that result from the movement of Earth's plates, causing uplift, heat, and pressure.

Natural Hazards

Predictable events like volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that can be anticipated by understanding the rock cycle.

Urbanization

The process of developing land into urban areas, often impacting the rock cycle by increasing erosion and runoff.