Rocks - Building the Earth (Adventures in Earth Science)

ABOUT Rocks – Building the Earth By Dr. Peter Scott This book introduces the three main rock types found on Earth – igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Each rock type is examined in some detail, looking at their formation, composition and classification. Igneous rocks were the first rocks formed on the Earth’s surface and the basic rock-forming minerals which make up their composition are examined in some detail. Sedimentary rocks are formed from the compaction and cementation of particles from other existing rocks which have been weathered, eroded and then transported to places of deposition by gravity, water, wind and ice. Metamorphic rocks have been formed from existing rocks by the action of heat and/or pressure. The great re-cycling process, known as the Rock Cycle, explains the complex processes which form and re-form rocks of all three types. The text is lavishly illustrated with many photographs and diagrams explaining the terms used, as well as showing examples of some of the rocks discussed. Read more