Essay On Rock Cycle

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A rock is a naturally occurring substance or solid material which is composed of one or more minerals. There are three types of rocks namely – Igneous , Metamorphic and Sedimentary rocks. These rock are in a continuous cycle of process whereby they are changed from one type of rocks to another which may or may not be of different mineral composition. This processes is called Rock Cycle. The rock cycle symbolises an ever-changing Earth. The three types of rocks igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary, record these changes, and it is up to geologists to observe the effects of the changes and try to decipher the clues and develop a history of the Earth. The original concept of the rock cycle is usually attributed to James Hutton, who is also known …show more content…

As soon as the rocks are exposed they undergo a process of weathering. Weathering is the disintegration of the pre-existing rock. The disintegration of rocks and minerals is carried out by chemical, biological or physical(mechanical) processes. This process of disintegration results in the formation of smaller surfaces where chemical alteration or chemical weathering may occur. Minerals in rocks react with their new environment to produce new minerals that are stable under conditions near the surface. The main agents responsible for chemical weathering reactions are water and weak acids formed in water. Weathering is also amplified by the presence of organisms. Biological organisms secrete enzymes that help to disintegrate the rocks thereby making them weaker and more prone to breaking and weathering. This process of weathering associated with organisms is known as biological weathering. These rocks that are formed by the weathering process are further acted upon by erosional processes and transported until they are deposited. The erosion of rocks is carried by exogenic processes that are a result of weathering agents like wind, water, air, etc.. Transportation of weathered rock particles is typically due to a combination of gravity acting upon the sediment and/or the movement of the fluid in which the sediment is entrained. The deposited sediments are then compacted and lithified to form sedimentary

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