TThhee RRoocckk CCyycclle e iin n GeorgiaGeorgia

Edited by RMS K. ColemanEdited by RMS K. ColemanDRAFT 04/ 07/2000 ESW 2000 Rock Cycle MI DEQ GSD - SEW

The eminent 18th century lawyer, doctor, gentleman farmer

and founder of modern geoscience, James HuttonJames Hutton, developed the concept of the RRoocck k CCyyccllee to show how rocks and natural, physical processes are interrelated.

Radioactive heating from inside the earth, as well as solar energy and gravity at thesurface drives the rock cycle.

As a result, the rock cycle will be self-sustaining for thousands of millions of years.

What is tWhat is thhee

RRoocckk CCyycclle ?e ?The rock cycle is a sequence of events involving the formation, alteration, destruction, and reformation of rocks as a result of natural processes such as magmatism (melting of rock into magma), erosion, transportation, deposition, lithification, and metamorphism.

Glossary of Geology, Bates & Jackson, AGI

The mantle, crust and surface of the earthcan be thought of as a giant recycling machine;rocks are neither created nor destroyed, but redistributed and transformed from one rock type to another.

http://www.science.ubc.ca/~geol202/rock_cycle/rockcycle.html March 2000

The RRoocck k CCyyccllee involves the recognition of three main classes of rocks all of which are found in Georgia.

The three rock types are …

CEMETERYCEMETERY METABOLICMETABOLIC

INGENIOUSINGENIOUS

SedimentaryRocks

MetamorphicRocks

IgneousRocks Right?Right?

let’s review some basic information …

Before we look at the

RRoocck k CCyyccllee in more detail,

Atoms combine to make compounds that combine to make minerals.

MineralsMinerals areare

naturally occurring inorganic elements or naturally occurring inorganic elements or compoundscompounds

having an orderly internal having an orderly internal structurestructure

and a characteristic chemical and a characteristic chemical compositioncomposition,

crystal form andcrystal form and

physical physical propertiesproperties

There are over There are over 100100 minerals minerals

found in Georgia.found in Georgia.The most important one The most important one economically is kaolin. economically is kaolin.

Important rocks are Important rocks are marble and granite. marble and granite.

There’s even sand and There’s even sand and gravel mining!gravel mining!

lunite, amethyst, amphibole, analcite, anatase, andalusite, andesine, andradite, anglesite, anhydrite, ankerite, annabergite, anorthite, anthonyite, anthophyllite, anthraconite, anthraxolite, antigorite, apatite, aphrosiderite, apophyllite, aragonite, ardennite, argentoalgodonite, arsenopyrite, asbestos, atacamite, attapulgite, augite,awarurite, axinite, azurite,

babingtonite, baddeleyite, barite, bassetite, bastnaesite, beaconite, beryl, biotite, bismuthinite , blomstrandine, bornite, bowlingite, brannerite, braunite, brochantite, bronzite, brookite, brucite, brunsvigite, buttgenbachite, byssolite, bytownite,

calciovolborthite, calcite, calderite, calumetite, carnallite, carnelian, celadonite, celestite, cerargyrite, chabazite, chalcedony, chalcocite, chalconatronite, chalcopyrite, chalcotrichite, chamosite, chert , chloanthite, chlorargyrite,

chlorastrolite, chlorite, clinochlore, clino-chrysotile, clinozoisite, collophane, columbite, copiapite, copper, coquimbite, cordierite, corrensite, corundum, covellite, crocidolite, cubanite, cummingtonite, cuprite, dahllite, datolite, daubreelite, delessite, diabantite, diallage, diamond, dickite, digenite, dihydrite, diopside, dioptase, djurleite, dolomite, domeykite,

forsterite, francolite, freirinite, fuchsite, fulgurite, galena, garnet, garnierite, gersdorffite, gibbsite, glauconite, goethite, gold, halite, halloysite, halotrichite, harmotome, heterosite, heulandite, hisingerite, hollandite, hornblende,

hyacinth, hydrocarbon, hydrohausmannite, hydromica, hydromuscovite, hydrotroilite, hypersthene, iddingsite, illite, ilmenite, isle royale greenstone, jacksonite, jacobsite, jasper, jaspilite, julgoldite, kamacite, kamiokite, kaolinite,

kearsargeite, keweenawite, kinoite, koutekite, kupfferite, kutnahorite, kyanite, labradorite, langite, laumontite , lavendulan, lead, lechetelierite, ledouxite, leonhardite, lepidocrocite, lepidolite, manganoan siderite, manganocalcite, marcasite,

margarite, marmolite, martite, masonite, maucherite, melaconite, melanochalcite, melanterite, melilite, mercury, mesolite, meta-autunite, metatorbernite, metatyuyamunite, microcline, millerite, minnesotaite, mirabilite, mohawk-algodonite, mohawkite, molybdenite, monazite, montmorillonite, muscovite, nacrite, nantokite, natrojarosite, natrolite, neltnerite,

neotocite, niccolite, nontronite, oligoclase, oligonite, olivenite, olivine, orientite, orthoclase, ottrelite, palygorskite, paragonite, paramelaconite, pararammelsbergite, paratacamite, pargasite, patricianite, paxite, pectolite, pennine, pentlandite, peristerite, perthite, pharmacolite, phengite, phillipsite, phlogopite, phosphides, phosphorite, picrolite,

picropharmacolite, pigeonite, pistacite, pitchblende, plagioclase, plancheite, plessite, polyhalite, posnjakite, powellite, prehnite, priorite, prochlorite, protolithionite, pyrolusite, pyrope, pyrophyllite, pyrostilpnite, pyroxene , pyrrhotite, quartz, rammelsbergite, rauenthalite, rhodochrosite, rhodonite, riebeckite, ripidolite, roscoelite, rubellan, rutherfordine, rutile,

salite, salt, sanidine, saponite, saussurite, scapolite, scheelite, schefferite, schorl, schreibersite, scolectite, seamanite, semi-whitneyite, sericite, serpentine, siderite, silicon, sillimanite, silver, smaltite, smectite, soapstone, specularite,

spessartite, sphalerite, sphene, spinel, spodumene, staurolite, steatite, stellerite, stibiodomeykite, stilbite, stilpnomelane, stinkstone, strontianite, sulfur, sussexite, sylvanite, sylvite, synchisite, szaibelyite, taenite, talc, tantalite, tellurium, tenorite,

tetrahedrite, thomsonite, thuringite, tirodite, titanite, titanomagnetite, topaz, tourmaline, tremolite, trichalcite, tridymite, troilite, tyrolite, uralite, uraninite, uranothorite, uvarovite, vaterite,, vesuvianite, violarite, viridite, vivianite, vladimirite, wairakite, whitneyite, williamsite, wollastonite, wurtzite, xanthosiderite, xonotlite, zeolite, zircon, zoisite, zonochlorite

MineralsMinerals combine to form combine to form

RocksRocks

Some RRoocckkss are made up of just

one mineral - like rock salt (made up of the mineral halite).

Others RRoocckkss are made up of many minerals - like the

granites and gneisses (made up of feldspars, quartz, and other minerals).

RocksRocks and Natural Natural ProcessesProcesses make up the

RRoocckk CCyycclleeweathering

melting

pres

sure

, hea

t

Sedimentary Metamorphic

Igneous

The RRoocck k CCyyccllee

weathering

Sedimentary Metamorphic

Igneous

Rocks are weatherederoded,transportedand depositedto formSedimentary Rocks

Cumberland Plateau

• Broad, flat plateau• Flat lying sedimentary

rocks• Mississippian and

Pennsylvanian Age• Sandstone and

Limestone• Coal deposits• Plant fossils• Caves

Valley and Ridge Province• Alternating Ridges and

Valleys• Gently folded and faulted

sedimentary rocks• Paleozoic Age (Cambrian

through Mississippian)• Limestone, shale, and chert• Caves• Fossils

Piedmont Province

• Flat to gently rolling terrain

• Metamorphic and igneous rocks

• Precambrian through Triassic

• Granite outcrops (Stone Mountain and Elberton)

• MORE GOLD!

Coastal Plain Province• Flat terrain

• Beach and barrier islands

• Unconsolidated sediments

• Cretaceous to Holocene age

• Sand, limestone, clay

• Kaolin deposits

• Mammal fossil fauna

• Fossil shells (oysters and clams)

• Sharks teeth

Mineral Resources - Current

• Aggregate or Crushed StoneGranite

Limestone

Gneiss

• Dimension StoneGranite

Marble

• Industrial MineralsOchre

Barite

Kaolin

Georgia Marble goes to Washington

Stone Mountain

Providence Canyon State Park

State Symbols• State Mineral –

Staurolite

• State Gem – Quartz

• State Fossil – Shark’s tooth

• State Rock - ????

The RRoocck k CCyyccllee

melting

Sedimentary Metamorphic

Igneous

Igneous Rocksform from molten rock or magma in the subsurface or from lava extruded at the surface

pres

sure

, hea

t

Sedimentary Metamorphic

Igneous

The RRoocck k CCyyccllee

Pressure, Pressure, heatheatand fluidsand fluids cause preexistingmaterials to becomeMetamorphic Metamorphic RocksRocks

weathering

melting

pres

sure

, hea

t

Sedimentary Metamorphic

Igneous

The RRoocck k CCyyccllee

The Rock CycleRock Cycle does not go in just one direction. Any given rock can go through any part of the cycle any number of times.

weathering

melting

pres

sure

, hea

t

Sedimentary Metamorphic

Igneous

The RRoocck k CCyyccllee

I hope you better understand the Rock CycleRock Cycle and what it means.