Under Your Feet

46

Rain freezes in cracks

and expands to break

bits off the rock.

ALL THAT GLITTERS

If you dig a hole you’ll probably hit a stone, and rubbing

soil between your fingers will reveal a grainy texture.

Rocks and minerals have been transformed into

small pieces in soil over thousands of years.

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Rocks to pebbles

Rocks are crumbled and

dissolved by rain and ice.

This process is called

weathering. The particles

eventually become small

enough to form part of soil.

Panning for stones

Precious stones are heavier

than soil. They can be found

by panning, or washing the

soil off with water.

Solid treasure

Stones can be rocks

or minerals – the hard

substances that rocks are

made of. Rocks form in

different ways. Some cool

from lava spat out

by volcanoes!

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046-047_Rocks_And_Minerals.indd 46 31/10/2019 14:05