Rocks change constantly and have done so for billions of years. The rock cycle provides an explanation for how a specific type of rock can be changed into a new type of rock (ex. an igneous rock forms into a sedimentary rock) or another version of the same type (ex. a sedimentary rock forms into a new/different type of sedimentary).
Minerals are the building block of rocks. Minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic solids that have a specific crystalline structure. Minerals can be singular elements, such as gold, silver, or platinum or composed of multiple elements like quartz (made of silicon and oxygen). Minerals provide the physical and chemical properties of rocks and when minerals are subject to heat, pressure, melting, cooling, and weathering, their physical and chemical structure are altered as the new rock forms.
The classification of a rock is based on the processes that affect the rock’s chemical and physical properties.
Image Credits
- quartz: Photo Credit: Sabrina Ewald
- calcite: Photo Credit: Sabrina Ewald
