Rocks Types
Sedimentary rocks are soft rocks that are made from layers of sediment. The layers of sediment are transported by water and over millions of years, the layers above squash the sediments together. The salts in the water glue the particles together.
They are the rocks that have fossils in them. They are made from deposition of sediment.
Examples include limestone, mudstone and sandstone.
Igneous Rocks
Formed by the cooling of lava or magma and is formed from crystals. The word igneous is from the latin “ignis” meaning fire
Quick cooling forms small crystals, slow cooling forms large crystals
Examples include basalt, pumice and obsidian.
Granite is a type of igneous rock made from magma that cools slowly underground.
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have “morphed” into another kind of rock.
These rocks were once igneous or sedimentary rocks. The rocks are under tons of pressure, which causes heat build up, and this causes them to change.
These often also contain thin layers and crystals but are much harder than sedimentary rocks.
Marble is limestone that has been metamorphised
Slate is metamorphised shale
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