Clastic rocks
Okay kiddo, have you ever played with mud and sand outside? Clastic rocks are kind of like those things, but they're rocks that scientists study!
Clastic rocks form from a bunch of different pieces of other rocks, sand, and mud that get squeezed together over millions and millions of years. It's kind of like making a big, squishy sandwich out of all these tiny pieces.
The different pieces that make up clastic rocks are called grains. Some of these grains are bigger than others, and they can be made of different things like quartz or feldspar. Think of it like the different colored Legos you might have - some are small and some are big!
But how do these grains actually turn into a rock? Well, first they get buried under more sediment (like more sand or mud) and then a lot of pressure is put on them from all the layers on top. This pressure causes the grains to stick together like glue, eventually forming a solid rock.
There are three different types of clastic rocks: sandstone, shale, and conglomerate. Sandstone is made up mostly of sand-sized grains, shale is made up of really tiny bits of mud and clay, and conglomerate is made up of lots of different sized pieces that are all jumbled together.
So clastic rocks are kind of like a big puzzle made out of different pieces that fit together over a long, long time to make a rock that scientists can study and learn from!
Clastic rocks form from a bunch of different pieces of other rocks, sand, and mud that get squeezed together over millions and millions of years. It's kind of like making a big, squishy sandwich out of all these tiny pieces.
The different pieces that make up clastic rocks are called grains. Some of these grains are bigger than others, and they can be made of different things like quartz or feldspar. Think of it like the different colored Legos you might have - some are small and some are big!
But how do these grains actually turn into a rock? Well, first they get buried under more sediment (like more sand or mud) and then a lot of pressure is put on them from all the layers on top. This pressure causes the grains to stick together like glue, eventually forming a solid rock.
There are three different types of clastic rocks: sandstone, shale, and conglomerate. Sandstone is made up mostly of sand-sized grains, shale is made up of really tiny bits of mud and clay, and conglomerate is made up of lots of different sized pieces that are all jumbled together.
So clastic rocks are kind of like a big puzzle made out of different pieces that fit together over a long, long time to make a rock that scientists can study and learn from!