The recycling of the Earth's outer layers.
Rocks are continually being formed, destroyed, and re-formed in an endless cycle of change that takes millions of years. The processes involved include the formation of
igneous rock from
magma (molten rock); surface
weathering and
erosion; the compaction and cementation of sediments into
sedimentary rock; and metamorphism, chemical and physical changes brought about by heat and pressure, producing
metamorphic rock.
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