The Rock Cycle Challenge Bonus Assignment Mission: Imagine you're a junior geologist assigned to document the fascinating story of a rock. Choose one type of rock - it can be igneous (formed from magma/lava), sedimentary (formed from sediments), or metamorphic (formed from existing rock). Follow the report outline (rubric). Mission: The Fascinating Story of a Granite Rock Identity Introducing Granite! Granite is an igneous rock that has been formed as a result of solidification process of magma that occurs with time at the cooling zone of the Earth. Granite usually occurs in areas associated with mountains, and in continental crusts. Rockin' Beginnings The origin of Granite is rather melodramatic. It is created in the lower crust where the molten magma is not exposed to the atmosphere and cools very slowly taking a long time to form big crystals. This slow cooling also results in the coarsely crystalline texture of the granite, that is made up mainly of quartz, feldspar and mica. The Transformation Game All kinds of rocks and one of them is granite can be transformed in a number of ways. Fractioning can also occur in the case of granite to become smaller fragments via the process of weathering and erosion. They can then be transported and deposited to from sedimentary rock and contribute to the different layers of sedimentary rocks. Moreover, if imposed to high temperature and pressure, granite can alter into another type of metamorphic rock- the gneiss. The Rock Cycle Rumble Thus, granite is among the most important components of the earth’re cycling rocks. It is an igneous rock, however it can become weathered and eroded into sediments and in a way transform into sedimentary rock. Indeed, granite under higher degree of heat and pressure can be transformed into gneiss. Moreover, gneiss, if remelted and resolidifying, can turn into an igneous rock possibly a granite rock once more. This cycle is good display of how the rock cycle is not a one way process but rather is full of constant motion. The Final Chapter The future of Granite is as uncertain as the occurrences in nature. The chain of events may stop here and convert back to the rock or may undergo numerous transformations in the next stages as part of the rock cycle. Nonetheless, granite is an indispensable component of earth’s crust; it constantly contributes to changes and development of earth’s surface.