Energy In The Rock Cycle

Energy In The Rock Cycle The rock cycle shows the possible ways in which one type of rock can slowly change to another type of rock. The rock cycle is driven by different types of energy that slowly change rock. The changes in the rock cycle usually take thousands to millions of years.

Solar Energy Solar Energy drives the weather. Weather erodes rocks. Examples: Wind breaks down rocks and moves sediments. Rain slowly dissolves rock and moves sediments. Ice Wedging - Snow melts and runs into cracks, freezes, expands, and breaks rock. Glaciers scrape rock and carry sediment as they move. Natural Disasters Heat from the sun causes rock to crack or buckle from pressure caused by its atoms’ increasing speed.

Gravity All objects have gravity. Earth’s Gravity pulls all objects towards the center of the Earth. Gravity helps move rocks and sediment from place to place. Examples: waterfalls, rockslides, mudslides, glaciers

Chemical Energy Chemicals dissolved in water harden sediments and cement them together to form new rocks as water evaporates or moves away. Chemical reactions within the earth’s crust change rocks from one form to another.

Heat Earth was once a molten ball of rock. The earth’s interior still contains molten rock and metal. Heat in the earth’s interior causes convection currents in the mantle that move the earth’s tectonic plates, causing earthquakes, mountain building, and volcanic activity. Heat inside the earth causes rocks to melt partially or completely.

Radioactive Decay Earth’s crust and mantle contain radioactive elements that heat rocks as they decay.

Pressure As sediments pile up they put pressure on lower sediments and smash them together to make rocks. When the earth’s tectonic plates move they push against each other. The resulting pressure changes the crystal structure and composition of rocks.

Picture Sources http://voyagerstories.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/the-rock-cycle/ http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/thezone/rocks/cycle/index.htm http://www.icteachers.co.uk/children/sats/gravity.htm http://www.softpedia.com/progScreenshots/Sun-3D-Screensaver- Screenshot-19360.html http://ees.nmt.edu/~dulmer/NMCEP/NMCEP%20Nuclear%20Ener gy2.html  http://web.ukonline.co.uk/silabob/fractal.html http://open.salon.com/blog/greg_thomas/most_read http://www.jamstec.go.jp/chikyu/eng/ChikyuImages/science.html http://comp.uark.edu/~sboss/study3s02.htm http://anand-vsiyer.blogspot.com/ http://www.stockpix.com/stock/nature/geology/3204.htm

Energy In The Rock Cycle Student Note Version

Chemical Energy Chemicals dissolved in water harden sediments and cement them together to form new rocks as water evaporates or moves away. Chemical reactions within the earth’s crust change rocks from one form to another.

Energy In The Rock Cycle The ________cycle shows the possible ways in which one type of ______ can slowly _________to another type of rock. The rock _______ is driven by different types of __________that slowly ____________rock. The changes in the rock cycle usually take __________to ___________ of years.

Solar Energy Solar Energy drives the_____________. Weather ____________rocks. Examples: __________breaks down rocks and moves___________. Rain slowly ___________rock and moves sediments. Ice Wedging - ___________melts and runs into cracks,_________, expands, and __________rock. ___________scrape rock and carry sediment as they move. Natural___________ . Heat from the ______causes rock to _________or buckle from ____________caused by its atoms’ increasing speed.

Gravity All objects have ______________. Earth’s _________ pulls all objects towards the _________of the Earth. Gravity helps move _____ and _________from place to place. Examples:___________, rockslides, mudslides, glaciers

Chemical Energy Chemicals _________ in water harden sediments and __________ them together to form new rocks as water __________or moves away. Chemical __________ within the earth’s crust __________rocks from one form to another.

Heat Earth was once a ___________ball of rock. The earth’s _________still contains __________ rock and metal. Heat in the earth’s interior causes ____________currents in the _________ that move the earth’s ___________plates, causing earthquakes, mountain building, and ___________ activity. ________ inside the earth causes rocks to ________partially or completely.

Radioactive Decay Earth’s crust and mantle contain ____________elements that heat rocks as they_________.

Pressure As __________pile up they put pressure on lower ___________ and ______them together to make rocks. When the earth’s __________ plates move they ________against each other. The resulting pressure changes the __________structure and ___________of rocks.