🌋Igneous rock vs Sedimentary rock🪨
Rocks fall into three families. Igneous and sedimentary rocks form in completely different ways — one from fire, the other from accumulation.
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🌋Igneous rock
- ✓Forms when molten magma or lava cools and solidifies
- ✓Can cool slowly underground or quickly at the surface
- ✓Often has interlocking mineral crystals
- ✓Examples include granite and basalt
- ✓Rarely contains fossils
🪨Sedimentary rock
- ✓Forms when sediment is compacted and cemented together
- ✓Builds up in visible layers or strata
- ✓Made from fragments, minerals or organic remains
- ✓Examples include sandstone and limestone
- ✓Commonly contains fossils
Verdict
Igneous rock is born of heat as magma cools; sedimentary rock is built slowly from layers of debris. Sedimentary rock preserves most fossils, while igneous rock records past volcanic activity.
Frequently asked
Which rock type contains fossils?+
Sedimentary rock. It forms gently in layers, so it can preserve the remains of ancient life.
What is the third main rock type?+
Metamorphic rock, formed when existing rock is changed by heat and pressure.
Why does granite have visible crystals?+
It cooled slowly deep underground, giving minerals time to grow into large crystals.
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