weathered fragments of stones are compacted and cemented together. The process begins when rocks, minerals and organic materials — such as shells — are broken down into bits and transported to a new ...

To solve the mystery, the team crushed the rocks into fragments and extracted microscopic zircon crystals. These crystals, smaller than a pen tip, act like time capsules. Their age and chemistry ...

which can then blast the sides of nearby rocks, buffing and polishing them smooth. On the seashore, the action of waves chips away at cliffs and rakes the fragments back and forth into fine sand.

“These windows into the Earth’s crust ... in the area contain ophiolite fragments — parts of oceanic crust and the underlying layer of rocks known as the mantle that have been propelled ...

As a geologist, though, I think that the rocks beneath our feet offer even ... cycle to turn the second pile of sedimentary rock fragments into another conglomerate. In other words, this one ...

it transformed into rocks, which still float around the solar system today; it appears Ryugu may be one of them. Scientists said the fragments show signs of having been soaked in water at some point. ...