The "building blocks" of the planet are minerals—naturally occurring, inorganic solids with specific chemical compositions and crystal structures. These minerals combine to form rocks, which geologists categorize into three main types based on their formation:
Elara pressed her palm flat against the sun-baked granite. It was warm, almost alive. To anyone else, it was just the flank of Mount Anya, a good place for a picnic. To Elara, it was the first page of a very old book. geology 1
Existing rocks that have been transformed by intense heat and pressure without melting. The "building blocks" of the planet are minerals—naturally