The Rock Cycle

A Cycle of Many Pathways (pages 114–116)

Objective

Students will be able to describe the rock cycle.

Key Concept:

Forces deep inside Earth and at the surface produce

a slow cycle that builds, destroys, and changes the

rocks in the crust.

The rock cycle is a series of processes that slowly change

rocks from one kind to another.

There are many ways rocks go through the rock cycle.

Here is one way rocks go through the rock cycle:

Igneous rock on the surface is turned into sediment by

erosion.

The sediment is deposited and slowly becomes sedimentary rock.

The sedimentary rock is buried by more sediment.

Heat and pressure slowly change the sedimentary rock

into metamorphic rock.

The metamorphic rock is forced into the mantle.

The metamorphic rock melts to form magma.

The magma erupts and cools to form igneous rock again.

A rock that melts to form magma will next become an

___________ rock.

A rock that is being heated and pressed is on its way to becoming a____________ rock.

igneous

metamorphic

erosion

Heat and pressuremelting

melting

Volc

anic

acti

vity m

elting

erosion

deposition

erosio

n

Heat and

pressure

sedimentary

metamorphic

igneousa.

b.

c.