gen-define-the-rock-cycle-and-give-one-short-worked-example-85cc

Define the rock cycle and give one short worked example.

# The Rock Cycle The **rock cycle** is the continuous process by which rocks transform from one type to another over geological time through various physical and chemical processes. The three main rock types are: - **Igneous** - formed from cooled magma/lava - **Sedimentary** - formed from compressed sediments - **Metamorphic** - formed from rocks altered by heat/pressure ## Worked Example **Granite → Sand → Sandstone → Quartzite** 1. **Granite** (igneous rock) is exposed at Earth's surface 2. **Weathering and erosion** break it down into sand particles 3. Sand is transported and **deposited** in layers (sediment) 4. **Compaction and cementation** turn the sand into **sandstone** (sedimentary rock) 5. The sandstone is buried deep where **heat and pressure** transform it into **quartzite** (metamorphic rock) If quartzite melts and re-cools, it becomes igneous rock again, completing the cycle.