KS3 Science · The rock cycle

The rock cycle

Three rock types, four processes, one endless loop. Click a process to see how one rock turns into another — or open a rock to explore it in full.

Inside the Earth — the crust, mantle and core, and where magma comes from. (Embedded explorer.)

How the cycle works

There’s no start and no finish — any rock can become any other. Tap a process arrow, or tap a rock to open the full explorer.

cooling weathering & erosion heat & pressure melting IGNEOUS tap to explore ↗ SEDIMENTARY tap to explore ↗ METAMORPHIC tap to explore ↗ MAGMA inside the Earth ↗

Tap a process arrow or a chip to see how one rock turns into another. Tap a rock to open its full explorer.

Igneous rocks — how cooling speed sets crystal size. (Embedded explorer.)

Sedimentary rocks — the six-step build and how fossils form. (Embedded explorer.)

Metamorphic rocks — heat and pressure transforming a buried rock. (Embedded explorer.)