• I am Emmy Eisner, the mafic, extrusive, igneous, fine-grained, basalt rock. Now, listen little pebble, you must learn the adventure of the rock cycle. You see, I was formed as the result of volcanic activity near the surface of the Earth. Look here; see that I have no crystals on my body. This is because I am an extrusive igneous rock. I am very experienced because I have been through this cycle myself and have seen it occur.
    The process of erosion occurs and washes sediment, which are grains of sand and dirt, into rivers to oceans. The sediment grains are deposited onto the ocean floor. This sediment creates layers over the floor of the ocean, over a period of centuries, which is nothing for us rocks. The sediment grains form sedimentary rock, by compaction and cementation.
    Some rock is forced down when big pieces of the Earth’s crust collide. This is changed into metamorphic rock. But how does it change? At great depths, powerful heat and pressure squeeze the previous sedimentary tock into metamorphic rock. I’m glad I wasn’t that poor sedimentary rock being squeezed.
    Do you know what magma is? Magma is hot liquid that forms when rock partially or completely melts. The rock melts when the magma touches the metamorphic rock. The materials that were grains of sand and other sediment, becomes part of the magma now.
    This is the part where I come into the rock cycle. Magma tends to rise to high levels close to the crust of the Earth because magma is usually not as dense as the rock surrounding it. Once the magma is there, it cools or solidifies to become an igneous rock, like me.
    Erosion and uplift causes the igneous rock to be exposed at the Earth’s surface. Because of this, the igneous rock weathers or wears away into grains of sand, clay, and other types of sediment. The grains are deposited to a different place, and of course, the rock cycle begins again. Now you know all about your journey in the rock cycle and can look forward to it.