Mini Me Geology Blog » kids earth science http://www.minimegeology.com/blog Rocks for Kids, Teachers, Parents and Homeschoolers Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 The Rock Cycle – Dig Into Geology http://www.minimegeology.com/blog/2008/06/19/the-rock-cycle-dig-into-geology/ http://www.minimegeology.com/blog/2008/06/19/the-rock-cycle-dig-into-geology/#comments Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:23:13 +0000 tracyb http://www.minimegeology.com/blog/?p=6 One of the most interesting topics in geology is the Rock Cycle.  The Rock Cycle is the method by which minerals are made into sedimentary and igneous rocks, which are then made into metamorphic rocks.  The cycle continues when all of these sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks break down into mineral and small rock pieces and form new rocks.  Are you still wondering what I’m talking about?  Here is an example:  The mineral quartz makes up common beach sand.  That beach sand will, over time, form into a sandstone sedimentary rock.  When a sandstone is buried and heated it becomes a quartzite metamorphic rock.  The sandstone and quartzite can either be buried, melted and formed into part of a new igneous rock, like granite, or it can breakdown and form a new sedimentary rock such as conglomerate.

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