1. Weathering and Erosion: Granite, exposed at the Earth's surface, is constantly attacked by weathering (rain, wind, frost, etc.) and erosion. This breaks down the granite into smaller pieces, sand-sized grains, and even dissolved minerals.
2. Transportation: These broken-down pieces are carried away by wind, water, or ice. This process sorts the fragments by size and density, with the finer particles traveling further.
3. Deposition: Eventually, the transported particles settle out in a new location, often in low-lying areas or in bodies of water. This process is called deposition.
4. Burial and Compaction: Over time, more sediments pile up on top, burying the original granite fragments. This increasing weight compresses the sediments, squeezing out water and air, and causing the particles to pack together.
5. Cementation: Dissolved minerals in the surrounding water precipitate out between the sediment grains. These minerals act as glue, binding the grains together and forming a solid rock. This is called cementation.
The Result: This process forms sedimentary rocks, which can be made of various minerals that were once part of the original granite.
Important Note: The minerals themselves don't change their chemical composition during this process. They simply get redistributed and recombined into a new rock structure.
Example: A sandstone rock might be formed from quartz grains that were once part of a granite. The quartz grains have been weathered, transported, deposited, compacted, and cemented together to form the sandstone.
