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Rock Cycle Research Paper

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1 - Describe the rock cycle and identify the three different types of rocks produced on earth by origin. The rock cycle describes the formation, the breakdown and the reformation of a rock. The three different types of rocks are sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous; although all rocks are created by minerals, each rock has a different formation, breakdown, and reformation which splits the rocks into the three different types of rocks. These rocks have numerous elements in common, but are created different ways. Sedimentary rocks are created by pieces of many different rocks that create rocks. Metamorphic rocks are rocks that are created from heat and pressure these rocks can be sedimentary, igneous, or other metamorphic rocks. Igneous rocks begin as a melted rock that freeze. Rocks are nonliving and created with different minerals, but their formation, breakdown, and reformation are different and this is how we categorize each rock into its category. Therefore, dependent on how a rock is created, heated, or frozen; rocks are similar in regards to being created from minerals. …show more content…

Composite is the first which is also referred to as strato; it is formed from layers of ash and lava flows that are steep sided cones. The next type is called Shield volcanoes; which are low with sloping sides. This type is formed from layers of lava. The last type of volcanoes is Dome. This type of volcano is filled with a very thick type of lava. Volcanoes occur where they do because of the pressure that has been built up. This is very similar to a bottle of champagne, there is so much pressure stored inside of a champagne bottle that when the cork pops you can feel the pressure being released from that bottle. Volcanoes occur in that same fashion without the cork being popped. This pressure is being stored in the magma chamber and when it erupts it erupts just like a bottle of champagne that has been shaken

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