The processes depicted in the rock cycle also relate, in large part, to
A) rock color.
B) plate tectonics.
C) mineralogy.
D) the Neptunist Doctrine.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Plate tectonics, or the movement and interaction of Earth's lithospheric plates, plays a significant role in the formation, transformation, and destruction of rocks in the rock cycle. For example, igneous rocks form from the cooling and solidification of magma, which is often associated with volcanic activity at plate boundaries. Sedimentary rocks form from the accumulation and lithification of sediment, which may be transported by rivers and deposited in basins or oceanic environments. Metamorphic rocks form from the transformation of pre-existing rocks due to changes in temperature, pressure, or chemical conditions, often associated with the deformation and/or burial of rocks during tectonic activity. Therefore, plate tectonics is crucial in the cycling of rocks through the Earth system. The other choices, rock color, mineralogy, and the Neptunist Doctrine (an outdated theory that all rocks originated from a universal ocean), are not as relevant to the processes depicted in the rock cycle.

The Processes Depicted in the Rock Cycle Also Relate, in Large