ENV100Y5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Metamorphic Rock, Extrusive Rock, Xenolith
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ENV100Y5 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
Heating, melting, cooling, breaking, reassembling of rocks and minerals. Dominated by surface processes (but driven both internally and externally) Processes related to the movement of large fragments of lithosphere. Magma = molten (liquid) rock + gases + crystals. Magma cools and crystallizes slowly, well below earth"s surface (e. g. , granite) Magma ejected from a volcano, cools and solidifies quickly (e. g. , basalt) **fossils can only be found in sedimentary rocks** Sediment = particles of rock, transported by wind, water, ice, or gravity. Sedimentary rock = forms in the near-surface or surface environment. Lithification = formation of rock through the processes of compaction and cementation. Metamorphic rock: metamorphic rock = pre-existing rock, modified as a result of exposure to great heat and/or pressure. Temperature and pressure high enough to reshape crystals. Changes their appearance, physical properties, even their chemistry. Direct studies: surface rocks, drill holes, lava, xenolith (foreign rocks) Indirect studies: astronomical/orbital measurements, meteorites, gravity and magnetism, refraction of seismic waves.
