5 Questions and Answer – Geology
What are the three main types of rocks, and how are they formed?
Answer: The three main types of rocks are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
o Igneous rocks form from the cooling and solidification of molten magma or lava.
Examples include granite (intrusive) and basalt (extrusive).
o Sedimentary rocks form from the accumulation and lithification of sediment,
which can be fragments of other rocks, minerals, or organic material. Examples
include sandstone and limestone.
o Metamorphic rocks form from the alteration of existing rock types (igneous,
sedimentary, or other metamorphic rocks) under conditions of high pressure and
temperature, without the rock melting. Examples include marble (from limestone)
and schist.
What is the theory of plate tectonics?
Answer: The theory of plate tectonics explains the movement of Earth's lithospheric
plates on the asthenosphere. According to this theory, the Earth's outer shell is divided
into several plates that glide over the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them. The
interactions between these plates are responsible for many geological phenomena,
including earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain building, and ocean trench formation.
Plates can move apart (divergent boundaries), collide (convergent boundaries), or slide
past each other (transform boundaries).
What is a mineral, and how is it different from a rock?
Answer: A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a specific chemical
composition and a crystalline structure. Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. A rock,
on the other hand, is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of one or more minerals or
mineraloids. For example, granite is a rock composed mainly of the minerals quartz,
feldspar, and mica.
What are the main types of geological faults, and what causes them?
Answer: The main types of geological faults are:
o Normal faults occur when the crust is extended and the hanging wall moves
downward relative to the footwall. This is typical of divergent boundaries.
o Reverse (or thrust) faults occur when the crust is compressed and the hanging
wall moves upward relative to the footwall. This is typical of convergent
boundaries.
o Strike-slip faults occur when rocks on either side of the fault move horizontally
past each other. This is typical of transform boundaries. A famous example is the
San Andreas Fault in California.
What is the rock cycle?
Answer: The rock cycle is a continuous process by which rocks are created, altered,
destroyed, and reformed over geological time. It illustrates how the three main types of
rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) transform from one type to another
through various geological processes:
o Igneous rocks can be broken down into sediment to form sedimentary rocks.
o Sedimentary rocks can be buried and subjected to heat and pressure to become
metamorphic rocks.
o Metamorphic rocks can melt to form magma, which can cool and solidify to
become igneous rocks again.
o Any rock type can be weathered and eroded to form sediment, which can then
form sedimentary rocks, continuing the cycle.
