Rock Transformations

Cross Section

A diagram that shows what the inside of something looks like

Rock Formation

A region of rock that formed together as a single rock type

Sample

A small part that is meant to show what the whole is like

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space

Rock Materials

Everything made of rock: magma, sediment, and all rock types

Magma

Hot liquid rock below the surface of the Earth

Mineral

One of the different types of matter that makes up rocks

Plate

One of the very large sections of hard, solid rock that make up Earth's outer layer

Sediment

Small pieces of rock

Energy

The ability to make things move or change

Erosion

The movement of sediment from one place to another, often caused by wind or flowing water

Plate Boundary

The place where two plates meet

Uplift

The process by which all the rock formations of a region are pushed up due to plate motion

Subduction

The process by which rock material moves under the Earth's outer layer and into the mantle due to plate motion

Weathering

The process of rock breaking down into smaller pieces due to wind of moving water

Compaction

The process of sediment being buried and pressed together

Cementation

The process of sediment being glued together

Metamorphic Rock

The rock type formed when heat or press deep underground changes existing rock

Igneous Rock

The rock type formed when magma cools and becomes solid

Sedimentary Rock

The rock type formed when sediment is pressed and glued together