Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Geology Fun!


Igneous rocks are rocks that are formed from the cooling of underground magma or above ground lava. There are many different forms of igneous rocks and below is an example of a few.
Granite

Pumice

Columnar Basalt 
 
Metamorphic rocks are rocks that started out as igneous or sedimentary and were transformed into another type of rock. This transformation is caused by massive amounts of pressure and heat. Some examples of metamorphic rocks are shown below.
Gneiss

Marble - Formed from Limestone
 
Sedimentary rocks are formed when sediment deposits accumulate and are pressed into rock formations. Sedimentary rocks can be formed out of any type of rock that has been eroded. Some examples of sedimentary rocks are shown below.
Limestone

Sandstone
 
There are many different naturally occurring minerals in the world. These include quartz, fieldstone, hornblende, pyrite, halite, calcite, and mica. Quartz is a particularly beautiful mineral. Its chemical formula is SiO2. Quartz or silica dioxide is commonly found all over the world. It is one of the most abundant minerals.  Here is a picture of quartz.

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