.Rocks are naturally occurring aggregates of one or more minerals (the building blocks of rocks).

Rock divisions occur in three major families based on how they are formed: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Each group contains a collection of rock types that differ from each other on the basis of the size, shape, and arrangement of mineral grains.

The rock cycle explains how the three rock types are related to each other and how Earth processes change a rock from one type to another through geologic time. Plate tectonics is responsible for the recycling of rock materials and is the driving force of the rock cycle.


Click the links below to learn more about minerals, the different types of rocks in the rock cycle, and how to identify each of them.