The Rock Cycle Explained: How Rocks Transform Over Time #3654898 (License: Personal Use)

This diagram maps the continuous transformation of Earth’s rocks: magma cools to form igneous rock; weathering and erosion break it into sediment, which undergoes compaction and cementation to become sedimentary rock; both igneous and sedimentary rocks can be altered by heat and pressure into metamorphic rock, which may melt back into magma. Arrows indicate reversible pathways driven by tectonic activity, surface processes, and deep-Earth conditions.

Used in educational science websites, geology lesson plans, and earth science curricula to help students visualize and understand the dynamic nature of rock formation and recycling over geological time.