EARTHSC 1G03 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Equant
5 Apr 2017
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Document Summary
Rocks form in many different ways and from many different materials. Due to the relationship between rock types and the process of forming them, rocks provide a historical record of geologic events and they give insight into interactions among components of the earth"s system. A rock is a coherent, naturally occuring solid, consisting of an aggregate of minerals or, less commonly of glass. Coherent means that the rock holds together and thus must be broken to separate into smaller pieces. Naturally occuring means that geologists only consider naturally occuring materials to be rocks, manufactured materials like bricks aren"t rocks. An aggregate of minerals or a mass of glass means that the vast majority of rocks consist of an aggregate of mineral grains, or crystals stuck/grown together. Rocks whose grains are stuck together by cement are called elastic rocks. Rocks whose crystals interlock with one another are called crystalline rocks. Bedrock is rock that is stuck to the earth"s crust.
