1The Earth’s Amazing Recycling Machine
Did you know that the ground beneath your feet is constantly recycling itself? Rocks might look like they just sit there, but they are actually on a journey that lasts millions of years! The Earth uses three main "recipes" to create rocks: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic. Igneous rocks are the fire-born starters, created when molten magma or lava cools down from temperatures as high as 1,200 degrees Celsius. Whether it’s a giant granite mountain or a piece of sharp obsidian, every igneous rock began as a liquid deep inside the planet.
2Wind, Water, and the Passing of Time
Once a rock is on the surface, the elements take over. Rain, wind, and even ice act like tiny hammers, breaking big boulders into pebbles, sand, and mud. Over thousands of years, these tiny bits settle at the bottom of lakes and oceans in layers called strata. As more layers pile on, the weight becomes so heavy that the bottom layers are squeezed into sedimentary rock. This is where the coolest secrets are hidden, as sedimentary rocks are the only ones that contain fossils of dinosaurs and ancient sea creatures!
3Deep Pressure and the Big Bake
The final stage of the journey happens deep underground. When rocks are buried by shifting tectonic plates, they aren't quite hot enough to melt, but they are under immense pressure. This process, called metamorphism, "bakes" the rock and changes its chemical structure. It is like putting cookie dough in an oven; it goes in soft and comes out a totally different shape and texture! For example, soft limestone can be squished and heated until it turns into hard, beautiful marble. Eventually, these rocks may be pushed so deep they melt back into magma, starting the entire incredible cycle all over again.
