The volcanic ashes from Vesuvius were made up of tiny fragments of volcanic rocks and volcanic glass, initially very light but quickly accumulating to form...
Beaches made of crushed shells primarily come from marine organisms. Mollusks, crustaceans, and other shelled animals produce solid calcareous shells throughout their lives from minerals...
Rock formations sometimes take on human-like appearances due to a slow and natural process: erosion. Over the centuries, water, wind, and temperature changes gradually wear...
The type of magma clearly affects the final shape of the volcano. For example, very viscous magma, rich in silica, flows slowly and struggles to...
In rocks, atoms are naturally organized into precise geometric shapes called crystalline structures. It is these regular patterns that allow crystals to play with sunlight. When a...
These amazing arch shapes often come from a subtle mix of erosion and rock type. Generally, it all starts with cliffs or rock layers already...
Sedimentation is simply the gradual deposition of particles like sand, mud, or shells at the bottom of a lake, sea, or river. Over time, these...
Some minerals have the curious ability to absorb invisible light (such as ultraviolet rays) and reemit it in the form of visible light. This phenomenon...
Granite is primarily composed of three minerals: quartz, feldspar, and mica. The quartz, which is very hard, gives granite a high resistance to wear and...
The Earth's surface is divided into large puzzle pieces called tectonic plates. These plates move slowly but constantly (only a few centimeters per year) due...
