Types of Rocks and the Rock Cycle

Geomastery

Introduction to Rocks and Minerals in Earth’s Crust

The earth is composed of various elements . The
elements in earth’s crust by their % weight are :

Dont memorise this data .

Just remember that in
earth’s crust the elements
with maximum % by weight
are Oxygen and then Silicon

These elements combine in

various ways to make minerals

It is these minerals which

become a rock when they are
bonded in a solid state

The three broad classes these

rocks are divided into are

Igneous Sedimentary Metamorphic

Geomastery appearance : fine grained. eg. basalt Igneous Rocks There are various
types of plutons as
Magma ( liquid rock ) in the shown in this diagram
mantle → moves upward into
crust or surface extrusive igneous rocks ( for
on surface eg. magma flowing out of a
volcano as lava )

When it cools and solidifies

→ becomes igneous rocks
intrusive igneous rocks The places beneath surface
types
consist of in crust ( magma intrudes into older where magma cools are called
rocks in crust ) plutons

largely silicate minerals as

shown in table below . Many of
these minerals combine to form appearance : coarse grained. eg. granite
different kinds of igneous rocks
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Some major minerals with important features Sedimentary Rocks : The Broad picture

Feldspar • forms half of the crust Lets first understand what is the fundamental process of sedimentary rocks formation with an example , then we can cover more details in next page
(silicate + other elements)

Quartz • present in sand and granite 1) Many denudational agents drive the process of weathering of
( silicon dioxide) • used in radio and radar existing rocks ( igneous , metamorphic as well as sedimentary )
→ This results in fragments of various sizes

Pyroxene group
• found in meteorites
(silicates with aluminum, etc)
2) These smaller fragments/sediments are easier to transport by
different exogenous agencies like wind and water

Amphibole group • used in asbestos

(silicates with sodium,etc)
3) They are deposited in a new place ( in this figure , they have
been deposited in the ocean )
Mica
• used in electrical instruments
(silicate of aluminum + others )
4) Lithification : multiple layers of sediments deposit one over the
other → water is squeezed out of the lower layers under the pressure
Olivine of upper layers → and the grains start accumulating together and
• used in jewellery crystallise to foem new rocks whcih we call as sedimentary rocks
(silicate of iron and magnesium)

There is no need to remember their

composition as such . Just remember that
the common feature is silicon and oxygen.
Geomastery Rocks and Rock Cycle

3 major classes of sedimentary rocks

recrystallisation and reorganisation of
Exisitng rocks material under intense T and P Metamorphic Rocks
Chemically formed Mechanically formed Organically formed

source : when dissolved source : Carbon based

minerals like calcium source : mechanical Materials
carbonate in solution → transportation of fragments of
for eg. accumulation of plant
precipitate out as older rock ( as in diagram in
and organic matter which gets
sediments→and then lithify to last page )
converted to coal
form rocks way 1 : exisiting
rocks are buried by way 2 : rising
Eg. dolomite , limestone , Eg. Sandstone , Shale , Eg. geyserite , chalk crustal processes magma transforms
evaporite , chert Conglomerate , Limestone and overlying the underlying
pressure rocks by heat
transforms them

In most sedimentary rocks ( like Because the various layers of the

sandstone and shale ) , many sedimentary deposits retain their
layers are visible . Why ? characteristics even after lithification .
Types of metamorphism

dynamic thermal
Over time, minerals move from one rock phase to another through a variety of processes, such as (physical reorganisation) ( chemical reorganisation )
heating, melting, weathering, and recrystallization. The rock cycle summarises this process.

contact regional

rocks→transform when rocks → transform by

in contact with magma. tectonic shearing under
eg. Gneiss high T and P

In many metamorphic rocks → particles get arranged in Some important metamorphic transformations
layers → this is called as foliation/banding ( Eg. Gneiss )
original rock metamorphic form

Shale Slate
Slate Schist
Limestone Marble