Exam 3: Rocks and Rock-Forming Processes

Divisions within the three classes of rocks are

Why is weathering/erosion such an important part of the rock cycle?

The deterioration of surface rock can be attributed to weathering. What can be a result of weathering?

Crystal size can be used to help distinguish

Which was correctly explained by Neptunism but not by Vulcanism?

A classification scheme that grouped plutonic and metamorphic rocks together and sedimentary and volcanic rocks together would be based on

Which condition is not important when precipitating new mineral crystals from dissolved sediments?

Neptunists and Vulcanists differed on their interpretation of how loose sand and gravel formed.

You are given two igneous rock samples; one is said to be an intrusive (plutonic) rock and the other an extrusive (volcanic) rock. How can you tell which is which? (3.2)

Which type of rock did the Vulcanist doctrine explain incorrectly?

The Greek word clastos, from which clastic rocks are named, means

Why are descriptive classifications so useful?

Every part of the Neptunist doctrine for the formation of rocks was false.

What is necessary for a mineral to cement rock grains together?

The processes depicted in the rock cycle also relate, in large part, to

An igneous rock is fine-grained. What kind of rock is it, and how did it form?

Chemical weathering causes rocks to disintegrate into smaller rocks or into even smaller grains.

Using the principle of Uniformitarianism, what can you infer about sandstone found on a beach? (3.1)

Both the Neptunist Doctrine and the Vulcanist Doctrine included parts that were later proven to be true.

Discuss the role of Sedimentary rocks in the rock cycle. (3.4)