The rock cycle

The Rock Cycle

Rocks on Earth change all the time because of different things that happen to them. They can turn into different kinds of rocks over a long time. This is called the rock cycle, and it recycles the rocks on Earth

There are three kinds of rocks:

Igneous rocks are made from melted rock that cools down.
Sedimentary rocks are made from small pieces of rock that stick together in layers.
Metamorphic rocks are made from other rocks that change because of heat and pressure.

The rock cycle shows how rocks can change into each other. There are many ways for this to happen, such as weathering, erosion, melting, and squeezing. Here is an example:

Sedimentary rocks can change into metamorphic rocks if they get buried deep in the Earth and get hot and squeezed.
Metamorphic rocks can break into small pieces if they get exposed to the air and water.
The small pieces of rock can move with water or wind and settle in a new place.
The new place can have many layers of rock pieces that stick together and form new sedimentary rocks.

This image shows a diagram of the rock cycle, which is the process of how rocks change from one type to another over time. The diagram shows a cross-section of a landscape with a mountain, underground layers, and a water body. It also shows different types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) and the geological processes (melting, weathering, erosion, etc.) that transform them.

Summary:

The Earth’s rocks change all the time because of different things that happen to them.
There are three kinds of rocks, and they can turn into each other over a long time.

This is called the rock cycle, and it recycles the rocks on Earth.