The Rock Cycle

Hi, today I'm going to tell you a little bit about the rock cycle. Have you ever wondered where rocks come from? The answer is from other rocks! Rocks are constantly being recycled into new types of rocks. This process is called the rock cycle. There are three different types of rock that are part in the rock cycle. They are: sedimentary rock, metamorphic rock, and igneous rock. Let's start with sedimentary rocks and work our way through the rock cycle from there. Sedimentary rocks are made of bits of broken rock which you call sediment. Over time, sediment gathers into layers and hardens into rock. Sedimentary rock will eventually become metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rock is rock that changes as a result of pressure and heat. Sometimes, sedimentary rock that is underground is compressed by the rock on top of it and gets heated by underground pours of hot magma. This causes it to become metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rocks slowly move closer to the center of the earth as more layers a rock build up on top of them. If you were to travel into the earth, you'd find that it would get hotter and hotter as you went deeper. Close to the center of the earth, it gets so hot that rock actually melts. This molten rock is called magma. Eventually, the magma will cool and solidify forming igneous rock. Finally, the igneous rock will break down into sediment completing the rock cycle. As you can see from this diagram, the rock cycle doesn't always follow one specific path. For example, the sedimentary rock may be heated and compressed to form a metamorphic rock or it might be molten into magma and solidify, thus forming an igneous rock. In the end, the rock cycle is just another amazing display of Mother Nature's awesome power to change our planet.