* Weathering: Rocks are broken down into smaller pieces by wind, rain, ice, and even living organisms. This process creates sediment.
* Erosion: The broken-down sediment is transported by wind, water, or ice to new locations.
* Deposition: The sediment settles and accumulates in layers.
* Compaction and Cementation: Over time, the weight of the sediment layers presses the grains together (compaction) and minerals dissolved in the water crystallize, gluing the grains together (cementation). This forms new sedimentary rocks.
* Metamorphism: When rocks are subjected to intense heat and pressure deep underground, they change their mineral composition and texture, becoming metamorphic rocks.
* Melting and Solidification: At even greater depths, rocks can melt into magma. When magma cools and solidifies, it forms igneous rocks.
So, what happens to the "disappearing" rocks?
* They become sediment: Weathering breaks down the original rock into smaller particles.
* They become part of new rocks: The sediment is transported, deposited, and ultimately forms new rocks.
* They become part of the Earth's interior: When rocks melt into magma, they become part of the Earth's mantle, a layer below the crust.
In essence, rocks don't disappear; they transform into something new. They're constantly being recycled through the rock cycle, changing their form and location over time.
