Marble

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/marble

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary mineral composition?Recrystallized calcite (CaCO3) or dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2)
2. What is the optical property?Subsurface scattering, contributing to a soft, luminous appearance, especially in sculptures
3. What is marble and how does it form?Marble is a stone that starts as limestone or dolostone and turns into a shiny, crystalline rock when it is heated and squeezed deep inside the Earth. The heat and pressure make the tiny crystals grow larger and interlock, giving marble its smooth look.
4. Why does marble have swirly patterns and colors?The swirls and colors come from small bits of clay, silica, iron, or organic material that move around and change while the rock is being reshaped. These impurities create beautiful veining and can give marble greens, reds, or other shades.

Orogenic Belts: Regions of the Earth's crust that have been significantly deformed by tectonic forces, often forming mountain ranges.
Lithostatic Pressure: The pressure exerted on a rock mass by the weight of overlying rocks.
Non-foliated: Metamorphic rocks where mineral grains are not arranged in parallel layers or bands.
Isotropic Properties: Having uniform properties in all directions, unlike anisotropic materials which vary with direction.