Sedimentary rocks are made up of pieces of older rocks (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary) and organic remains (shells, bone, etc.). When rocks break apart from erosion they are transported by ...

Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ignis meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the ...

This 1930s educational film explores the natural landscapes, geological formations, and agricultural practices of the time. It features scenes of farmers tilling soil, majestic mountain roads, ...

During the nearly 14 months that it has spent on the red planet, Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, has scooped soil, drilled rocks, and analyzed samples by exposing them to laser ...

Outcrops in the Thurston Island area of West Antarctica consist primarily of plutonic rocks that range in composition from gabbro to granite and yield isotopic dates from 347 to 97 Ma. They intrude ...

THE closing years of the nineteenth century witnessed a revival of interest in the petrology of gneous rocks, which must be regarded as marking an important stage in the development of that subject.

In my last column, I wrote about the locations where you can find igneous rocks that were formed from lava. The metarhyolite and metabasalt described in the column are known as extrusive rocks, those ...

THIS book is intended for two classes of reader, namely, the student beginning the study of the igneous rocks, and the geologist seeking a refresher course. As a result, the beginner will need careful ...

This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's ...

Scientists on NASA's Perseverance mission made a surprising discovery about the composition of rock in Jezero Crater, one that will help them get a better idea of when water existed on Mars, and ...

Scientists report on the analysis of a surprisingly Earth-like Martian rock, discovered by the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity, that offers new insight into the history of Mars's interior and ...