GCSE Geography | The rock cycle, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic

Geography Quiz - The Rock Cycle (Questions)

This GCSE Geography quiz explores the rock cycle, showing how igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks are constantly changed by heat, pressure, weathering, and erosion.

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Fascinating Fact:

When rocks are pushed deeper into the mantle and melt, the molten material can later cool to form new igneous rock, continuing the cycle.

In GCSE Geography, the rock cycle explains how rocks are continually formed, broken down, and changed. Students learn how processes such as weathering, erosion, heat, and pressure connect igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks over millions of years.

Key Terms

Rock cycle: The continuous process by which rocks are created, broken down, and transformed into new types of rock.
Igneous rock: Rock formed when molten magma or lava cools and solidifies, either underground or on the Earth’s surface.
Sedimentary rock: Rock made from layers of sediment that are compacted and cemented together over long periods of time.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are the three main types of rock in the rock cycle?

The three main rock types in the rock cycle are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock. Each type is formed by different processes involving heat, pressure, and erosion.

How can sedimentary rock change into metamorphic rock?

Sedimentary rock can change into metamorphic rock when it is buried deep in the Earth and exposed to high heat and pressure, which alter its minerals and texture without fully melting it.

How does weathering help drive the rock cycle?

Weathering breaks existing rocks into small pieces that can be transported as sediment. This sediment may later be compacted and cemented to form new sedimentary rock, keeping the rock cycle going.

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Which rock type is formed by high pressures and temperatures?

[ ]	Igneous
[ ]	Metamorphic
[ ]	Sedimentary
[ ]	All three

Which type of rock is made from molten magma that has cooled down and solidified?

[ ]	Igneous
[ ]	Metamorphic
[ ]	Sedimentary
[ ]	All three

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

[ ]	Sedimentary rocks are usually formed under water
[ ]	Metamorphic rocks have been melted
[ ]	Igneous rocks are often associated with volcanoes
[ ]	Metamorphic rocks can be made from igneous, sedimentary or other metamorphic rocks

Which of the following is NOT a type of weathering?

[ ]	Saltation
[ ]	Solution
[ ]	Freeze-thaw
[ ]	Exfoliation

At which type of plate boundaries are you most likely to find igneous rocks forming?

[ ]	Conservative and destructive
[ ]	Destructive and constructive
[ ]	Constructive and conservative
[ ]	They will form at all three types of plate boundary

Which word describes an ingneous rock that is formed deep within the crust of the Earth?

[ ]	Extrusive
[ ]	Intrusive
[ ]	Extra-terrestrial
[ ]	Intra-terrestrial

Which of the following is the correct sequence that describes the formation of a sedimentary rock?

[ ]	Suspension, deposition, compaction, cementation
[ ]	Sedimentation, deposition, cementation, compaction
[ ]	Suspension, compaction, cementation, deposition
[ ]	Deposition, cementation, sedimentation, suspension

In a sequence of sedimentary rock layers, where would you find the most recently formed rock?

[ ]	It would be the lowest layer
[ ]	It would be the middle layer
[ ]	It would be the topmost layer
[ ]	It is impossible to tell without carbon dating the rocks

The timescale of the rock cycle is:

[ ]	months
[ ]	decades
[ ]	millenia (a millenium is one thousand years)
[ ]	millions of years

10.

Which of the following statements is incorrect?

[ ]	Igneous rocks are made from grains of other rocks that have been cemented together
[ ]	Sedimentary rocks normally form in layers
[ ]	Both metamorphic and sedimentary rocks can contain visible layers
[ ]	Igneous and metamorphic rocks often contain crystals

Geography Quiz - The Rock Cycle (Answers)

Which rock type is formed by high pressures and temperatures?

[ ]	Igneous
[x]	Metamorphic
[ ]	Sedimentary
[ ]	All three

They are formed in the roots of mountain ranges where temperatures and pressures are greatest

Which type of rock is made from molten magma that has cooled down and solidified?

[x]	Igneous
[ ]	Metamorphic
[ ]	Sedimentary
[ ]	All three

They can form at the surface of the Earth or deep in the Earth's crust

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

[ ]	Sedimentary rocks are usually formed under water
[x]	Metamorphic rocks have been melted
[ ]	Igneous rocks are often associated with volcanoes
[ ]	Metamorphic rocks can be made from igneous, sedimentary or other metamorphic rocks

It is important to realise that metamorphic rocks are NOT melted during their formation - if they were melted at any point, that would make them an igneous rock

Which of the following is NOT a type of weathering?

[x]	Saltation
[ ]	Solution
[ ]	Freeze-thaw
[ ]	Exfoliation

Saltation is a method of transport of rock particles and is therefore erosion and not weathering

At which type of plate boundaries are you most likely to find igneous rocks forming?

[ ]	Conservative and destructive
[x]	Destructive and constructive
[ ]	Constructive and conservative
[ ]	They will form at all three types of plate boundary

These are the two places that molten magma reaches the surface of the Earth

Which word describes an ingneous rock that is formed deep within the crust of the Earth?

[ ]	Extrusive
[x]	Intrusive
[ ]	Extra-terrestrial
[ ]	Intra-terrestrial

Granite is a good example of an intrusive igneous rock

Which of the following is the correct sequence that describes the formation of a sedimentary rock?

[x]	Suspension, deposition, compaction, cementation
[ ]	Sedimentation, deposition, cementation, compaction
[ ]	Suspension, compaction, cementation, deposition
[ ]	Deposition, cementation, sedimentation, suspension

Sedimentation and deposition mean the same thing. Sediments are formed in layers which is why the majority of sedimentary rocks are layered

In a sequence of sedimentary rock layers, where would you find the most recently formed rock?

[ ]	It would be the lowest layer
[ ]	It would be the middle layer
[x]	It would be the topmost layer
[ ]	It is impossible to tell without carbon dating the rocks

Folding of rocks caused by tectonic movements can cause rock sequences to be turned upside-down! This can sometimes cause problems to geographers when they try to interpret the history of a mountain range

The timescale of the rock cycle is:

[ ]	months
[ ]	decades
[ ]	millenia (a millenium is one thousand years)
[x]	millions of years

Rocks are millions of years old, some can be hundreds of millions of years old - very few rocks escape being changed by the rock cycle. The oldest rocks on Earth have been dated as being about 4 billion years old and were found in Canada. This means that they have been part of the rock cycle for almost as long as the Earth has existed!

10.

Which of the following statements is incorrect?

[x]	Igneous rocks are made from grains of other rocks that have been cemented together
[ ]	Sedimentary rocks normally form in layers
[ ]	Both metamorphic and sedimentary rocks can contain visible layers
[ ]	Igneous and metamorphic rocks often contain crystals

Any crystals that you find in sedimentary rocks are held in place by surrounding particles of sediment and were formed at an earlier date than the rock. The crystals of igneous and metamorphic rocks are formed at the same time as the rocks and are surrounded by other crystals

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Geography Quiz - The Rock Cycle (Questions)

Fascinating Fact:

Key Terms

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

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