The provided diagram illustrates the process by which rocks are formed and destroyed.
Overall, the cyclical natural process involves two main stages, which are the formation and the destruction of rocks. The process starts at the top of a mountain with rocks being broken down into smaller fragments and terminates with its melted variation – lava being expelled out of a volcano.
The first stage of the procedure commences at the apex of the mountain, where rain falls and causes an erosion. During this phase, rocks are shattered into either sand or stones, which are then carried to the sea. These resulting fragments roll downhill and create sediments at the foot of the mountain. Over time, the sediments push lower and build up to form a layer of sedimentary rocks. This layer can either send its particles upwards to the surface or downwards to create metamorphic rocks.
Turning to the destruction stage of the cycle, due to high heat and great pressure at this depth, metamorphic rocks melt so that magma emerges at the bottom of the mountain. In the next step, this liquid is channeled into a canal of the volcano and ejected through its mouth via a volcanic eruption, resulting in the formation of lava, which when cooling quickly, forms igneous rocks. These rocks steadily pass up to reach the surface, signifying the completion of the circular process.