Where do diamonds come from? What makes gems sparkle? How did Mount
Everest and the Grand Canyon form? Find answers to these questions and
many more in this rockin' reference book.
Welcome to the amazing world of rocks and minerals! Let's start at the
very beginning, with an introduction to the origin of our rocky planet,
then move on to explore the world of igneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic rocks. You'll discover how they form, what makes them
unique, and most importantly, how to identify them in your own backyard.
Complete with the origin and description of some of the most important
rock-forming minerals, readers will discover how some of the most
beautiful and precious stones on the planet are created by the Earth
itself. Each chapter includes dozens of profiles of amazing rocks and
minerals, fun facts, sidebars, photo galleries, and more. At the end of
the book readers will get to meet a real geologist and learn just what
it's like to dig in the dirt for a living. Thematic spreads cover topics
such as birthstones, cool crystals, digging for diamonds, and more. And,
of course, amazing photography and colorful graphics add visual awe to
the lively text.
Fans of other National Geographic Kids Ultimate "pedias" in the same
series--Dinopedia, Bugopedia, Reptileopedia, Oceanpedia,
Predatorpedia, and *Weatherpedia--*will want to add Ultimate
Rockopedia to their must-have list.