Rocks & Minerals

To find fossils you need to know where to look.The best places to find fossils are in canyons and washes.These types of geological formations serve as natural collection bins. Erosion washes the...

The rock cycle is a repeating process that causes various types of rocks to form and decay. While the cycles for some types of rocks follow a specific path, not all types of rocks follow the same...

The rock cycle is the process by which the planet recycles and changes one kind of rock into another continuously.

Fossils are the remains or traces of past geological life preserved in rocks. The Earth's sedimentary layers, or strata, turn to rock through the process of lithification. During fossilization,...

Rocks form from a group of minerals. There are three types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. These types are classified by how they form. Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks and...

Fossils are the evidence that creatures and plants existed long ago. Fossils can be thousands or even millions of years old. Though most of these plants and animals disappeared without a trace,...

Geodes, which take thousands of years to form, begin with the formation of a cavity. This cavity can be the inside of a shell that is stuck in sediment. The shell will fill with a concentration of...

When identifying rocks, consult a good field guide that has illustrations or photographs of several types of rocks. Break down rocks into igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic groups with...

The three types of rocks are igneous, formed from molten rock, sedimentary, formed from the elements of an existing rock, and metamorphic, formed by a change in heat or pressure. Identify the...

Much of the rock around Devils Tower is sedimentary, such as the red sandstone cliffs of the Belle Fourche River. About 65 million years ago, there was a geologic uplift that resulted in the...

Metamorphic rocks are formed from the remelting and recrystallization of protolyth rocks, such as igneous and sedimentary rocks. Learn about the typical metamorphic characteristic of banding with...

There are three primary classifications of rocks, including sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks. Discover how all three main types of rocks are formed with help from a lab...

Rocks are made in different ways, with sedimentary rocks being made from erosion and deposition of preexisting rocks, and metamorphic rocks being made when preexisting rocks melt and...

All living creatures leave behind traces of their activities as they build dwellings, rest, hide, forage and hunt for food, or as they travel about. Sometimes this evidence is preserved by...

The outer surface of the Earth, or crust, is made of a variety of substances formed by a complex series of forces. Understanding the geology of the Earth's surface is important, since it makes up...

Rocks are an aggregate of minerals that occurs naturally. The entire lithosphere, or "crust" of the Earth, is made of rock. There are three kinds of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

Limestone is a fairly common type of sedimentary rock that forms near waterways and can be found, although rarely, where ancient bodies of water used to be. This is because limestone is typically...

Whether you are preparing for a mineral identification quiz or just want to know more about the geologic landscape around you, this article will help you learn the basic features that set Halite...

Over time, rock pieces and dirt settle along the bottom of river beds and streams. Time places layer upon layer of this sediment along the bottom until weight crushes the bottom layers forming...