Rockin’ Rock Hunters

Rocks can be defined as the solid material forming part of the surface of the Earth. Through observation of rocks, students can better understand that there are many different types of rocks that can have different physical properties. Physical properties are defined as any property used to characterize physical objects (matter) such as size, shape, color, texture, odor, appearance, etc. Different processes such as volcanic activity, movement of the earth's crust, erosion, and redeposition of rocks on the surface create several environments where different types of rocks and minerals form. Rocks can be classified into three different rock groups: igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary. The rock cycle explains the process of how igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks change and make up Earth's crust.

According to Petroleum and the Environment by Harrison and Testa, almost all of the petroleum known in the world comes from rocks that were formed in ocean basins or in sedimentary basins (depressions in the surface of the Earth where layers of sand, silt, clay, or limestone accumulate and form sedimentary rocks) on continents. Virtually every sedimentary basin in the world is potentially capable of containing some petroleum. Oil field workers look for sedimentary rocks for deposits of petroleum.