Rocks are solids that can be made up of one or more minerals. They are found all over the world, deep under the sea, and even out in space! You might think all rocks look the same but they’re all completely different.
Rocks come in many shapes, sizes and colours. If you want to discover the really amazing thing about rocks you have to look inside them.
A geologist is someone who studies rocks, kind of like a rock detective. They know if there are special metals or gold hiding inside the rocks. They even know how old they are. The first clue to discovering the mystery of rocks is to know which type of rock it is.
There are three main types of rock:
Igneous rocks - form when magma or lava cools down and becomes solid. Magma comes up through volcanoes, bubbling out and cooling to form the Earth's crust.
Sedimentary rocks - form when sediments like sand and minerals stick together.
Metamorphic rocks - when heat and pressure affect igneous and sedimentary rocks, they change (metamorphose) into a metamorphic rock.
So next time you see a rock, try and solve the first mystery and guess what type of rock it is.
