• Question: how are roks made

    Asked by to Andrei, Ekbal, Gemma, Helen, Ruth on 24 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Ekbal Hussain

      Ekbal Hussain answered on 24 Jun 2014:

      Heya!

      When hot material from the mantle (the layer beneath the Earth’s crust) comes close to the surface it melts to make magma. When this magma comes to the surface or close to the surface it cools down and becomes a solid. This is how igneous rocks are made.

      Another way to make rocks is by squashing sand and mud for a very long time. This is how sedimentary rocks are made. For example all the sand and mud at the beach will slowly one day get squashed under piles and piles of other sand and mud. The stuff at the bottom will get squashed sooo hard it will turn into a rock.

      Hope that answers your question!
      Ekbal

    • Photo: Helen Gath

      Helen Gath answered on 24 Jun 2014:

      Hi!

      These processes Ekbal talks of are really important. The reason we get so many different types of rocks is down to the way the material heats up, how quickly it cools, what elements the ground is mostly made of, how long they sit compressed under ground….what an interesting process!

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