What is the source of energy that transforms igneous rocks into sedimentary rocks? What is the source of energy that transforms sedimentary rocks into metamorphic rocks?
What is the source of energy that transforms metamorphic rocks into igneous rocks? Are these sources of energy internal or external? Explain.
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: Sedimentary rocks result from external processes, including weathering, transport, and deposition. The energy to break down and move sediment comes ultimately from the sun. To get rocks to a place where they can be weathered, energy from plate tectonics must also be involved. Igneous rocks are certainly related to internal heat and plate tectonics; metamorphic rocks are also more internal-process related. A sedimentary rock that is going to be transformed into an igneous rock by melting will most likely first metamorphose as it warms up. So, metamorphic and igneous rocks form as a result of Earth's internal energy, the same energy that drives plate tectonics. The surface processes that generate, move, and dump sediments are ultimately driven by solar energy.
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