Physical Agent Inventory: Rocks

Last modified: Fri 4/25/97 2230 PDT

Canon Terms	Object	Classes	Rock; IgneousRock; SedimentaryRock; MetamorphicRock
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	Event	Classes	(none)
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Rock is part of the solid material making up a planet's lithosphere (such as the Earth lithosphere).  The study of rocks is the subject matter of petrology, part of geology.

• You can learn about rocks here:
• Geology 202: Introduction to Petrology (U British Columbia)
• Rocks and Minerals (Geological Survey, Newfoundland and Labrador)

The three kinds of rock are igneous rock (formed by cooling and solidification of hot, liquid material), sedimentary rock (formed by deposition of material out of air or water) and metamorphic rock (formed from existing rock, usually by changes in pressure and temperature). All three kinds are most often composed chiefly of mineral grains.

• You can learn about igneous rock here:
• Intrusive Rocks (Geological Survey, Newfoundland and Labrador)
• Extrusive Rocks (Geological Survey, Newfoundland and Labrador)
• Introductory Basaltology (Peter W. Reiners)
• Intro to Granite (Robert M. Reed)

• You can learn about sedimentary rock here:
• Geology 256/301: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (U British Columbia)
• Bedform Sedimentology (USGS)
• Sedimentary Rocks (Geological Survey, Newfoundland and Labrador)
• Sedimentary Structures (Geological Survey, Newfoundland and Labrador)

• You can learn about metamorphic rock here:
• Metamorphic Rocks (Geological Survey, Newfoundland and Labrador)
• Skarns and Skarn Deposits (Larry Meinert)