Fossil, Rocks, and the Rock Cycle

What is rock?

A naturally occurring solid mixture of one or more

How is sedimentary rock formed?

Over time, sand grains get compacted , or compressed, and then cemented together to form this type of rock.

How is metamorphic rock formed?

Rocks in which the structure, texture, or composition of the rock have changed due to heat and pressure. These rocks go through a process called metamorphism.

What is uplift?

The movement within the Earth that causes rocks inside the Earth to be moved to the Earth's surface. When these rocks get to Earth's surface, weathering, erosion, and deposition begins.

What is erosion?

The process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports soil and sediments from one location to another.

What is deposition?

The process in which sediment moved by erosion is dropped and comes to rest.

What is the rock cycle?

The series of processes in which a rock forms, changes from one type to another, is destroyed, and forms again by geological processes. This process can take a million to tens of millions of years.

What is the geologic time scale?

The standard method used to divide the Earth's long natural history into manageable parts.

What is a fossil?

The trace or remains of an animal that lived long ago, most commonly preserved in sedimentary rock.

How is igneous rock formed?

When hot, liquid, rock, or magma, cools and solidifies.